You Make us Better
by Ashton09
Summary: Chloe and Aubrey meet, and everything changes, but there's still something missing. Then they meet Beca, and everything changes again. Soulmates AU, Triple Treble. Based on a prompt from Tumblr. Original working title was "50 Shades of Gay"
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note** : This is based on a prompt from Tumblr, specifically one by lgbtqpi-au, "Everything turns from black and white to colour when you meet your soul mate but we spent out first few moments together confused as to why we were still red green colour blind until we bumped into a stranger in all the excitement and now we see in perfect colour ah this is excellent". I've obviously changed it some to fit the storyline, and even though this is au I tried to follow the plot of the movie (and what backstory we see) as much as possible, though only through the end of the first movie.

Also, this story is completely written, but it's hand-written in a notebook, so I'm typing it up chapter by chapter. If a few days pass and I haven't updated, feel free to poke me with a stick to get me typing again. I'm editing as I type, but it's still just me and spell check looking over everything, so if you see a type please feel free to let me know and I'll fix it.

* * *

Chloe's world is full of grays. They shade a spectrum from pitch black to pure white, and they're all she's known through her childhood and teenage years. She isn't sad that she still can't see colors by the time she enrolls in college, getting colors too early usually leads to early disappointments as the strain proves to be too much.

And while there are support groups out there for people who try to find the most happiness they can, Chloe doesn't want to settle. She knows there's nothing wrong with having a relationship with someone other than your soulmate, but she wants the fairytale story. She ignores the horror stories, pretends she doesn't know the colors fade when your soulmate dies. In her world of gray, Chloe dreams of colors.

That's not to say Chloe doesn't find beauty in the grays of her world. There are entire museums for black and white artwork, and Chloe often spends a day wandering through one, trying to imagine what they would look like in color. But the true beauty in Chloe's life is music, the way it can speak to her heart with its gentle flows and melodies. When Chloe sings, she imagines that this is what colors feel like.

So when she gets to Barden, the first thing she does after settling in is head for the activities fair, desperate to find a singing group. She'd missed the auditions for the school's choir classes while she was recovering from a case of strep, and she knows she won't be able to go a full semester or year without some kind of music in her life.

She sees a few groups, but the Trebles don't take female members and the BU Harmonics don't seem like the kind of people she'll get along with. There's far too many of the light shades of gray that she's come to associate with the word "pastel", and none of the vibrant personality that Chloe wants to associate music with.

When she hits the Bella table, she's a little put off by some of the women standing around, but the captain seems nice enough as she invites her to auditions in a few weeks, and Chloe loves the song that she'll need to prepare. She's chatting with the captain about what makes the Bella's who they are when she sees someone else walk up to the table out of the corner of her eye.

Turning to look at the newcomer, Chloe notices something is different, and though it takes her brain a moment to catch up Chloe is staring at the other girl in shock, because her eyes aren't gray. She slowly notices the color of the girl's hair, her lips, the soft shade of her dress, before she realizes what must have just happened.

Her shocked look is mirrored back at her, and every line Chloe has ever practiced falls from her mind. After a long moment, Chloe notices a few of the Bellas whispering amongst themselves, and belatedly sticks her hand out with a smile, trying to seem charming. "Hi, I'm Chloe" she says, ignoring the mutters behind her.

"I'm Aubrey" the other woman says, forcing a smile as she takes the outstretched hand. Chloe expected sparks when their hands met, something as monumental as the colors that surround her now, setting her head whirling. Instead Aubrey's grip is slack, the other woman apparently still in shock. Not that Chloe can blame her; the rush of color around them is almost overwhelming.

"Great, if they make it we'll have to deal with lover's spats all the time" she heard from behind them, and Aubrey's skin darkens with embarrassment, even with the captain quickly shushing whoever had spoken.

"Um, why don't we find somewhere to talk?" Chloe asks hesitantly, wanting to get away from the press of people that's becoming too much to bear.

To her relief Aubrey nods, and smiles in a way that seems a little more natural. "Sure" she says as she nods, dropping Chloe's hand from where she'd still been holding it, and Chloe tries not to feel discouraged.

She hadn't realized just how much of a shock meeting her soulmate would be, both visibly and emotionally. She'd always been caught up in the romance of the notion, not truly realizing how it would feel to meet a complete stranger and suddenly be shown that they are the person who is somehow right for you on the deepest level of your being.

Thankfully, those who came before them knew what a shock it would be, and most public establishments had rooms set aside called "gray rooms" where everything from the carpet to the décor is completely gray, offering newly overwhelmed couples or individuals a sense of familiarity while they adjust. Colleges especially have them all over the place, knowing that putting as many young adults in one place as a campus did would lead to a greater need for them, especially among already stressed students.

So Chloe and Aubrey are able to quickly make it free of the crowd and into a free room, passing a few other shell shocked looking couples on the way. Once they get to the room, Aubrey moves away from Chloe, staring at the wall and taking deep breaths. Chloe tries not to be hurt, but by now shouldn't they be having some kind of conversation about things? After a minute she walks carefully to the other woman's side and reaches out her hand, trying to offer comfort. She isn't prepared for the pang of hurt that she feels when her attempt is rebuffed, Aubrey pulling away jerkily as she continues to breathe.

With nothing else to do, Chloe sits on the couch provided, staring down at the patterns on her dress in wonder. Her mother had pointed out this dress as one she should wear for important events, and Chloe is starting to see why. She usually sticks to solid colors in a range of color labels the stores agree work for her, after seeing the reactions some people get while wearing patterns of mixes of colors. She sort of imagines that certain color combinations are like chords that don't quite mesh, and while she'd never be rude about something like that, she can understand how jarring that could be.

After a while, Aubrey slowly turns from the corner looking pale, and Chloe tries not to flinch as she sits down, not wanting to feel rejected again if Aubrey pulls back first. "I'm sorry about that" Aubrey says after another moment, still not looking directly at Chloe. "It all just hit me so suddenly, and I don't do well with pressure. I sometimes do really badly with pressure." There's an undertone of shame in Aubrey's voice, and Chloe reacts without thought, reaching out for her hand.

"There's no pressure here" she hears herself say, despite the dreams of a perfect relationship she's held to for years. No matter how much she's wanted that, it isn't fair to Aubrey to push that on her. "We can just talk or something, if you want. You were at the Bella's booth, do you sing?"

"Yes, it's one of my favorite things, as strange as that sounds" Aubrey finally answers, her eyes not moving from where Chloe's hand rests on hers.

"That's not silly at all!" Chloe can't help but exclaim. "Singing is this amazing thing that can move an entire crowd, or speak to who you are even with no one else around. It can be something big and ornate, or something you create completely from yourself. It's one of the most beautiful things in the world." Chloe notices Aubrey relaxing with every word, and has to smile as their eyes finally meet once more. The other woman finally seems almost relaxed, and Chloe lets herself hope, just a little, that things will work out

"I've never heard anyone describe it like that" Aubrey says with a smile to match Chloe's. They talk about music for a while longer, Aubrey slowly relaxing further as the conversation flows. It's easier to talk in the gray room, but at the same time Chloe feels like the background comfort serves to make Aubrey look even prettier, the color of her eyes and hair standing out vividly from the monotone of their surroundings.

When Chloe realizes she's definitely being distracted by the fall of the other woman's hair, she also realizes that she has no way to match what she's seeing to the names for colors that she knows exist, and that gives her an idea. "Why don't we go to a color museum?" she asks almost abruptly, taking Aubrey by surprise.

Because just as the people before them had realized the need for gray rooms to catch your balance, they'd also planned for what you would need after. So while all students learn the color names as children, color museums had been founded to give new colors a match to the word that goes with them. They also offered an easy introduction to the colors that strove to introduce without overwhelming. They were a common first date for those who met their soulmates and wanted to work things out with them.

Aubrey stiffened again, obviously knowing the common date association. "I mean, if you won't want to then we absolutely don't have to. I just realized I have absolutely no idea what your hair color actually is, or the color of your eyes. And it might be fun, you know?" Chloe's trying really hard not to push, not wanting to scare Aubrey away.

Even from just their conversation so far, Chloe knows they're wildly different, probably bound together by their love of music more than anything. Chloe can already tell Aubrey is more reserved than she is, but she can also see how they could balance each other out, given the chance. And she desperately wants that chance.

"I'm not" Aubrey starts before sighing. "This isn't how things were supposed to go" she tries again. "There was a plan, and meeting my soulmate was supposed to come after college, after I was settled in a good job. Not before classes have even started" There's an almost defeated tone to her voice, and if Chloe didn't thing that it would push her away, she'd be pulling Aubrey into a hug.

"You can't plan soulmates" she says instead, not wanting to lose her chance at making this work. "They just happen, and I've always believed they happen when we most need them." She swears she's trying not to push, but there's so much more she wants to say, and she couldn't stop herself from saying at least that much.

But Aubrey just sighs, and Chloe's heart drops. "Why would you even want to try this with me?" I don't know how I possibly deserve someone like you. You're gorgeous, and open, and more relaxed than I'll ever be. You love music more than anyone else I've ever known. And I'm in the middle of a very strict plan for my life. My father expects nothing less than perfection." Chloe isn't sure why the other woman is opening up so much if she's just going to push her away, but maybe it's part of the soulmate bond. Whatever the reason, she has to respond.

"Your father isn't my soulmate, you are" she says firmly, only hesitating slightly when Aubrey winces. "And from where I'm sitting, I already see perfection." Okay, so that's a little cheesy, but Chloe has been dreaming of this day for years. She figures she's at least earned one over the top statement, especially after doing so well at not pushing until then.

Thankfully Aubrey laughs, and Chloe risks pulling her in for a gentle hug. Aubrey doesn't really relax into the embrace, but she's also not stiffening or pulling away, so Chloe counts it a success. "So, color museum?" she asks with a smile after ending the hug, trying to keep herself from crossing her fingers.

"Okay" Aubrey hesitantly agrees, standing and turning to the door. "Let's go" and with that she's suddenly vomiting, and Chloe freezes in shock. It's not until Aubrey finishes that Chloe notices she's crying, and immediately Chloe is at her side, carefully pulling her away from the mess and into another hug. She's not entirely sure what's going on, but Aubrey is crying, and that means she needs a hug.

The tears continue for a long time, but Chloe refuses to let go, steadfastly ignoring the smell filling the room. As soon as Aubrey calms down they can find someone to clean up the mess, but until then she's just going to hold her while she cries.

Finally the crying ends; and Aubrey seems genuinely surprised to see Chloe still standing there. "Why didn't you run?" she asks quietly as she wipes her eyes.

"Because there was no reason to" Chloe answers honestly.

"I'd say that's a pretty good reason to want nothing to do with me" comes the bitter sounding reply, accompanied by a wave at the room.

"That doesn't matter to me" she says, pulling back just enough to look directly into Aubrey's eyes. "That isn't a reason to run, and that isn't going to push me away. I honestly believe we met for a reason, and that means if we're both open to it, there is nothing about either one of us that can make us run. So if you're scared that I'm going to run, don't be. I'm not going anywhere unless you really want me to. And even then I'll track you down after graduation, when your soulmate fits into your plan." She knows she's pushing a little, possibly too much, but Chloe thinks that maybe Aubrey needs to hear this. Maybe being reassured that Chloe won't run will help.

And as Chloe talks, she sees a look of hope on Aubrey's face, and when she finishes, it's the other woman's turn to initiate the hug. "So, color museum?" is all Aubrey says when the hug eventually ends, but it's enough to make Chloe feel like she's flying.

XXXXXXXXXXX

The color museum isn't exactly what Chloe had been expecting. When people talked about colors as she was growing up, Chloe had imagined the range of colors would stretch across a wide spectrum, like a music scale played on a piano, each note with multiple matching shades. But the color wheel inside the entrance is almost bland, more like the scale on a poorly played recorder than what Chloe had imagined.

She's still learning Aubrey's reactions, but somehow she thinks the other woman is feeling the same sense of almost disappointment that Chloe is. To make things worse, the couple that comes in immediately after them can't stop gushing about the color wheel, going on about how they'd never imagined so many colors could possibly exist.

Chloe doesn't want to say anything, but she's starting to feel like maybe the color museum wasn't the best idea. Still, she's glad Aubrey isn't shutting her out, and glad they're spending time together. So with a smile that's only half forced, she follows the directions around towards each of the different galleries.

The first room is designed to show each color along with its name, and Chloe stops in confusion, looking at multiple images that look the same, but that have different descriptions next to them. She sees Aubrey frowning next to her, and as much as she wants to pretend everything is fine, she knows it's important to start any kind of relationship with honest conversation. So with a deep breath, she finally speaks up, unconsciously reaching for Aubrey's hand as she does. "Is it just me, or are a lot of these colors all but identical?" she asks quietly, not wanting to draw attention to them.

"I was thinking the same thing" comes the equally quiet response, Aubrey sounding just as confused and apprehensive as Chloe feels.

"Maybe there's a worker we can ask?" Chloe wonders, hesitantly looking around. She's not sure if Aubrey particularly wants to ask, but Chloe wants to know what's going on. First her soulmate is so nervous about things that she throws up, then the colors everyone had been saying were so amazing end up being a mere handful of shades. It's nothing like what Chloe's dreams had been, and she wants some kind of explanation.

To her surprise, Aubrey is nodding next to her, joining the search for some kind of employee to ask. They finally see an older woman near some couches in a gray alcove off the main room, and with only a glance they're both heading her way. If not for the confusion Chloe is feeling over the colors, she'd probably be all but jumping for joy at how in sync they already are.

"Things getting too much for you, dears?" the woman greets as they approach. "I remember my first time here; all the different colors everywhere had my head spinning. John, my soulmate, nearly had to carry me through the rainbow room." There's a fond smile on her face as she obviously thinks back to the happy memories, and Chloe almost hates to pull her from them to ask the question.

"Actually, we were wondering" she starts before trailing off, not sure how to phrase it.

"A lot of the colors look the same to us" Aubrey picks up when Chloe hesitates. And again Chloe is torn between how they already pick up on each other's moods and needs, and worry about what's going on.

"Oh dear, well that does happen sometimes" the woman says with a small, almost sad smile. "Usually only to one person, but I suppose it could happen to both of you. It's called color blindness, and it's got something to do with your eyes." Despite the kindness in the woman's voice, Chloe feels her stomach drop a little at the woman's words.

Colors are supposed to be amazing and beautiful, and even though Chloe already prefers the colors she can see to the grays she'd grown up with, she can't help but feel cheated. Still, she's determined to be happy. She met her soulmate today, and even with the disappointing news Aubrey is still holding tightly to her hand. Surely they can get through this together. After all, colors are just a visible sign of two parts of a soul meeting, not the whole point of soulmates at all. She just hopes Aubrey feels the same way.

They thank the worker, and with unspoken agreement wander through the rest of the rooms. Chloe particularly likes the one set aside for hair colors, and Aubrey likes the one for eye color. They can't really tell what color Chloe's hair is, or what color Aubrey's eyes are, but it doesn't matter that much anymore. They aren't gray, and that seems to be enough for both of them.

They don't talk too much about the colorblindness in the weeks following, both content to forget about it as they focus on getting to know each other. Neither one is willing to quiet call it a relationship yet, Aubrey still struggling to fit it into her five year plan, and Chloe not willing to risk her happy ending by rushing into anything.

Still, they're both aware of what they are to each other, and neither is willing to give up the closeness that already exists between them, on a level beyond friendship but different than romance. They spend a lot of time helping other practice for the upcoming Bellas audition, and Chloe is certain they'll both easily make it into the group.

They also work on calming exercises for Aubrey, after Chloe gets tired of feeling left out when Aubrey pulls away to focus on her breathing to choke things down. She's surprised when the blonde lets her help, but not as surprised as Aubrey is when having Chloe there actually seems to help. Having Chloe beside her helps keep her calm, usually calm enough that the relaxation exercises aren't even needed.

As expected, they both get accepted into the Bellas, with the captain welcoming them happily, telling them to just ignore the other girls when they act like bitches. "Alice is just a bitch in general" Amanda says at hood night party. "Girl can sing like no other, but she takes everything way too seriously, and if it's not something that works for her, she'll act like its total shit. Don't let her get to you."

Chloe can tell it does get to Aubrey, so she tries to keep it from getting to her so she can be solid for Aubrey. Because even with neither of them quite willing to step forward in the relationship, Chloe knows she's falling hard for the blonde. Being the new girls in the Bellas makes the bond cement that much faster, the older girls already having their friendships built before Chloe and Aubrey showed up. The captain and a few of the seniors are always nice, but they don't have a lot of time free to hang out as they prepare for graduation.

Alice and her group of sophomores are nearly as close as Chloe and Aubrey, but they all seem drawn together by bitchy judgement. Nothing that the younger two women can do is good enough for them, and Chloe is starting to worry about how Aubrey will take the pressure once the seniors leave.

Things only get worse when the rest of the Bellas find out about their colorblindness, after Alice suggests they that they design the Bella fliers they'll use at the activity fair next year. "After all, the two lovebirds can see all the colors now, let them design it" she's suggested snidely after Amanda reminded her that they'd need new ones. And Amanda hadn't seemed to pick up on her tone, excitedly agreeing that the two would be perfect for the job.

Aubrey had flushed in shame, immediately starting one of the breathing exercises they'd been working on all year, leaving Chloe to answer. "Actually" she started, reaching out to rub Aubrey's arm, "we're both colorblind". She can tell her touch is helping Aubrey, but the blonde is still tense next to her.

"Oh great, they can't even get that right" Alice scoffs from across the room. "How do you even mess that up? Meet your soulmate, see the colors. Leave it to these two slutbags to find a way to screw up something so simple."

By now Aubrey is literally shaking, and Chloe forces herself to ignore the other Bellas in favor of pulling Aubrey into a hug. "Ignore them" she whispers into her hair, rubbing small circles on her back. She can hear Amanda yelling at Alice in the background, but most of her attention is focused on the woman in her arms. "We don't need them, or colors, or anything else, right? We have each other, and together we're perfect." As she continues to comfort Aubrey, she's glad that they've gotten to the point over the past year where she can say things like this without worrying that she's pushing the blonde, or worrying that she'll pull away.

She's so focused on comforting Aubrey that she nearly misses the whispered "I love you", and it takes her a minute to react. As soon as it registers, she's pulling her soulmate tighter into the hug for a moment, before pulling back just enough to meet her eyes. What she sees there has her pulling Aubrey after her out of the rehearsal space, ignoring the looks from the others. She knows they'll have to face the rest of the group eventually, but right now her priority is her soulmate and their first declaration of love.

She leads them to a gray room, knowing that these rooms are one of the few places on campus where they're virtually guaranteed to remain undisturbed. Aubrey still looks nervous as she sits on the couch, but she's no longer counting breaths the way she was before, so Chloe sits beside her with no hesitation.

Honestly, she can understand Aubrey's nervousness, her own heart is racing like they've just ran the entire way here. She's trying not to let herself hope, but she loves Aubrey, and they already know they're soulmates. If Aubrey loves her back, then surely that means they can work this out, and actually give Chloe a chance at the happy ending she'd dreamed of.

Since Aubrey was the one who said it first, Chloe stays silent, waiting for the blonde to speak again. It takes a minute, but eventually Aubrey starts. "A soulmate was never part of my college plan" she says quietly, staring into Chloe's eyes. "You've heard that so many times I'm surprised you haven't gotten tired of me yet. But you haven't and you're still here, and you're always there for me when I need you to be. So while I still can't imagine why you'd want to be around me" Aubrey holds up a hand here to stop a protest from Chloe at that. "I'm beginning to think that maybe you should have been part of my plan. And plan or not, I'm glad you're in my life."

Chloe can't help but interrupt now, the strain of staying quiet too much after that. And this time, Aubrey lets her. "I'm glad you're in my life too. And you know, you've helped me just as much, even if I did fail maps last semester. You keep me grounded and focused. We balance each other out, just the way it's supposed to be." Chloe can see that Aubrey is close to tears, and she leans forward to pull her into a hug. "And before you can ever doubt it, I love you too."

They sit there holding each other for a long moment before Chloe feels Aubrey start laughing. "What's so funny?" she asks as she sits back in surprise. Laughter was definitely not the reaction she'd expected. Aubrey laughs for a moment longer, before she's able to take a deep breath and speak.

"I just had a thought. What's the proper way to ask your soulmate to be your girlfriend?" Chloe just stares at her for a second, before she starts laughing as well, pulling Aubrey close once more as they both laugh until tears come to their eyes.

Chloe never does answer. Because even if the question needed asked, neither woman doubted what the answer would be.


	2. Chapter 2

The two years that have passed since Chloe and Aubrey officially got together have passed more or less smoothly, each woman settling into their role in the relationship comfortably. Even the continued taunting from the other Bellas doesn't faze them much anymore, though Chloe occasionally worries about how seriously Aubrey takes trying to live up to their standards. It's been the cause of a few tense moments over the years, but Chloe refused to let Aubrey push her away, especially over the actions of a few women who should have nothing to do with their relationship.

And at the same time, she refuses to let Aubrey push herself too hard to please them. She has a hard enough time keeping her girlfriend from working herself to death over schoolwork and parental expectations, she's not going to let her stress over a few bitches whose opinions mean nothing in the long run.

She mostly succeeds, until Alice gives Aubrey a solo for Nationals. Chloe is insanely proud of her girlfriend, but she also knows Aubrey is likely to let the stress get to her if she thinks about it too much. So Chloe makes sure to revisit the calming exercises from their freshman year, and makes sure that Aubrey knows she's right there for her every step of the way.

She thinks she's succeeded as the solo winds down, until Aubrey loses it, vomiting all over the first few rows. As soon as Chloe realizes what's happened she's at Aubrey's side, rubbing circles on her back as she heaves again. When Aubrey finishes vomiting, Chloe immediately pulls her into a hug, ignoring the mess. All that matters is Aubrey.

When Alice goes to say something, Chloe just glares at her, all but daring her to start something. And even though Chloe has never so much as raised her voice to any fellow Bella, something in the look clearly startles the senior, and she cuts off whatever it was that she was going to say mid syllable.

Chloe knows the silence won't last, but if she can get Aubrey through the immediate reaction, she thinks her girlfriend will be able to stand up for herself when the silence ends. Not that Chloe will ever stop defending her, but it's always better when they stand together. Together, they can get through anything.

XXXXXXXXXXX

She doesn't exactly doubt that they can get through once the activity fair starts their senior year, but Chloe is definitely starting to question how well they'll be able to do on the way. So far they have no solid prospects, and Aubrey has started to shake next to her with every refusal. With the way the fair is going, Chloe is debating whether or not they should even stick around.

When their first potential recruit ends up being nothing like a traditional Bella, she thinks that maybe things are starting to look up, if Aubrey is even willing to consider filling the spots with a different kind of Bella. That still leaves them short at least seven potential Bellas, but at least they have a few more options.

Chloe is discussing that possibility and a few more of the potentials that have passed by their booth for a moment when she notices someone walk up to their booth out of the corner of her eye. Chloe turns to introduce herself, and finds that words desert her. Because as soon as she looks at the brunette in front of them, everything changes color.

And she can see a look of shock on the brunette's face, as the shorter girl quickly shifts her gaze to Aubrey, then down at the table between them. And Chloe can tell that Aubrey has gone stiff next to her, but she's so thrown by the change that she can't think of anything to say to reassure her girlfriend. It's just as overwhelming as the first time she'd seen Aubrey, but how can that possibly be?

She barely registers that Aubrey is as silent as she is, and decides that any conversation is going to be her responsibility to start. "So, are you interested in joining our A Capella group?" she asks, mentally kicking herself for falling into the sales pitch she's been spouting all day. She's just so confused by everything that's going on, she fell back on the familiar words. She notices then that her hand has found Aubrey's without her realizing, and she's running her thumb over the soulmate's band she'd given her their sophomore year. It seems to be calming them both, but Chloe notices the freshman staring at their joined hands before finally meeting their eyes again.

"Oh right, this is like, a thing now" she says, a barely noticeable tremor in her voice.

"Oh, totes" Chloe says with a smile, suddenly desperate to reassure the girl. "I'm Chloe, and this is Aubrey. We're part of the Barden Bellas, the best of Barden's four A Capella groups." She falls into explaining the A Capella culture and history, and thinks that things are going fairly well. The freshman is relaxing, and Aubrey's hand isn't shaking in hers.

Then the girl calls A Capella lame, and Aubrey switches to bitch mode next to her in the blink of an eye. Chloe tries to salvage the situation when she actually calls the girl a bitch, but she feels like she's fighting a losing battle. "Look…"

"Beca" the girl supplies at Chloe's questioning look.

"Look, Beca. A Capella is an amazing experience, and the Bellas are a close knit, talented group of ladies whose dream is to return to the National finals at Kennedy Center this year" Beca is at least not grinning insolently at Aubrey anymore, so maybe this is helping. "Help us make our dream a reality?" And okay, so maybe the scripted line of her standard pitch wasn't the way to go in this situation, but the rush of colors around them and the strangely overwhelming sense of connection are throwing Chloe off.

Still, from the way Aubrey is back to trembling next to her, Chloe guesses she remembers the occasional conversations were Chloe has admitted to dreaming about how amazing things would be once she met her soulmate and could see all the colors around her. And obviously her girlfriend can tell that something is off, and that it's entirely to do with Beca.

"Sorry, but I don't even sing" Beca is saying, and Chloe feels her heart drop. "But, it was really nice to meet you guys." And with that she's disappearing into the crowd, leaving both of the women behind her staring.

Chloe forces herself to turn and meet Aubrey's eyes, only to find anything she was going to say lost as she notices the new depths of color in them. As many times as she's looked at Aubrey, as many times as they've made eye contact, this is finally what Chloe knows she's supposed to see. Now if only she knew what was going on to cause it. Right now all she really knows is that something has changed, and they really need to talk.

Apparently Aubrey agrees, because when the blonde sees that there's only thirty minutes left of the fair, she wordlessly starts packing up the table, motioning for Chloe to keep handing out fliers so they lose as little time as possibly. Once everything is packed and stored away, Chloe isn't surprised when Aubrey pulls them to the nearest set of gray rooms. They've been their comfort spot since freshman year, and Chloe knows they help when Aubrey starts to get self-conscious about their colorblindness, though they've been mostly using them for other stresses over the past year. Chloe finds herself grateful for the habit, even with only going from colorblind to what she has to assume is full color she's started to get overwhelmed by the added amounts of sensory input.

"What. The hell. Was that." Aubrey starts as soon as the door closes. Chloe can tell she's more upset than pissed, but she still hates that she's hurt her girlfriend. Still, she's never lied to Aubrey before, and she's not going to start now. Of course, that doesn't' mean she has any idea what to say.

"I don't know Aubrey, I swear. One minute, we were talking, then Beca was there, then something changed." Even though she won't lie to her girlfriend, Chloe will try to avoid making it sound like Beca made color appear for her. Aubrey did that for her, Aubrey is her soulmate, and if she's feeling insecure after how Chloe acted, the last thing Chloe wants to do is make it sound like Chloe is replacing her.

"You saw colors, didn't you" comes the unexpected response, and Chloe wonders how Aubrey could possibly have known.

"Yes, but Aubrey, I swear I don't know what it means, and I still love you, please believe me. I will never choose anyone over you, you are y soulmate, my best friend, and everything I have ever wanted." Aubrey seems to lose some of the tension from her posture as Chloe speaks, and by the end has stepped close enough that she can pull her girlfriend into a hug.

"I know, Chloe" comes the soft whisper into her hair. "I'm still happy to hear you say that though."

"How did you know?" Chloe has to ask when the hug ends and they've settled onto the couch, where she's snuggled into Aubrey's side. She can feel her girlfriend tense a little at the question, but the answer comes with no hesitation.

"Because I did too." And now Chloe's brain is racing, trying to imagine what it could possibly mean. And she knows Aubrey is probably doing the same, thinking and overthinking enough for the both of them. They need a distraction or they're both going to end up obsessing about this.

"I know we have a lot to think about" she says before they can get to caught up in their individual thoughts. "But how about we try to forget all of that for a while, and go back to the color museum. We may not know why this happened, but it did, and we should take some time to get used to it." She thinks Aubrey is about to argue, but after a moment of clear internal struggle she shrugs instead.

"As much as I'd like to head home and start looking up anything I can find about what this means, I know you're not going to let me dive in headfirst. And I am interested in seeing what that color wheel is actually supposed to look like, now that you mention the museum." Chloe may be surprised at how easily her girlfriend agreed to the idea, but she isn't going to argue. Not with the outcome or the rationalization.

Over their three years together, first as friends then as girlfriends, Chloe has learned every possible method of keeping Aubrey from getting too into whatever it is she's working on, after realizing that her single-minded focus could get to the point where she would even forget to eat. At least this time Aubrey has enough warning that she's slipping into hyper-focus mode that she doesn't fight Chloe's distraction, or insist that it isn't needed.

"It's not like answers are going to disappear if we take a few hours to breathe. And you know you study better when you aren't stressed." As much as Chloe wants answers, she does believe that they need to slow down, or Aubrey will turn this into another reason to push too hard. And none of the answers are worth risking that.

XXXXXXXXXX

This is only their second visit to the color museum, both of them agreeing after the last visit that going back would be pointless. And to Chloe, the sight of so many missing shades would have been a reminder of the dreams she'd set aside. She's found new dreams after being with Aubrey, has been happier than she'd ever dreamed possible, but there's a definite bittersweet edge to the memories of the first visit that she didn't want to bring up with another trip. And even though Aubrey has never said anything, Chloe thinks it would have been a reminder to her girlfriend of her 'failure' to live up to the perfect ideal her father had expected from her.

Now that the missing shades have somehow appeared, Chloe thinks that another trip will make up for the last one's disappointments. And sure enough, when they walk in and see the color wheel that had been almost blah last time, all that Chloe can think is "this is what music sounds like". As bland as the wheel had been last time, Chloe had been completely unprepared for the sight in front of her now.

"Oh my god" she hears Aubrey say, but she can't tear her eyes away from the wheel in front of them. She does reach out for her soulmate's hand, meeting it halfway as Aubrey reaches for her as well, each drawing balance and comfort from the other. They stand there in silence for a long moment, just letting the colors wash over them, before turning as one to the first introduction room.

Even with each color simplified and separated from the others, after a while Chloe starts to feel overwhelmed, and pulls Aubrey towards the gray alcove to catch her balance. Aubrey seems to be dealing with the stimulus better, but follows her without argument or hesitation as Chloe settles into the alcove. "Hey, you okay?" she asks after a minute, holding Chloe close as she breathes deeply and focuses on the soothing monotones around them.

"Yeah, I just wasn't expecting it to be so overwhelming. It's not like it all hit at once, we already had colors in our lives, but it's all just so much more intense this time." And Chloe really hadn't meant to bring anything up while they're here, but she can't seem to help herself. She just hopes she's not hurting Aubrey as she lets it out. "I just can't figure out why this is happening, or what it could mean, and when I see the shades of green I think of your eyes and how beautiful they are, and wonder how I didn't get to see them like this for the past three years, because I never thought I could find you more beautiful than I did yesterday, but now I could spend hours just looking into your eyes. But then I see all the shades of blue we'd been missing, and I remember Beca's eyes, and I just don't know what's going on."

She's ready to keep going, words and explanations fighting in her head to get out, desperate to find some kind of relief from the jumbled mess they're currently in. But Aubrey quiets her with a gentle kiss, and Chloe melts into it with a sigh. No matter what confusion she feels, her love for the blonde is a layer of certainty beneath it all, and the kiss is a physical touchstone to that certainty.

"I know what you mean" Aubrey says when the kiss ends. "But no matter what, I love you and we can get through this together. That's what you're always telling me, right? So let's just enjoy this day together, and at least for now consider it all a gift."

Chloe nods in agreement, but moves closer to Aubrey, needing a few more seconds of closeness before she's ready to head back out. But before she's quite ready to let go of her girlfriend, she hears someone nearby and reluctantly steps back, not wanting to share the moment with anyone else.

"Oh dear, sorry to interrupt you two!" she hears a vaguely familiar voice say. "It's a bit overwhelming for a first trip, isn't it?"

"It's actually not our first trip" Aubrey says, reaching out to rest her hand on Chloe's arm with a smile.

"Yes, I remember you two! It's been quite a while since I've seen you here. We don't usually get repeat visits when…" The woman trails off into silence, leaving the sentence unfinished as she blushes. Not that either of them needed her to finish the sentence, they both know exactly what she meant. There isn't a lot of draw to a colorblind individual in a color museum. And while there isn't much social stigma towards the condition, it's still considered impolite to bring it up when you aren't familiar with how an individual feels about it.

"Well, something changed, so we decided it was a good idea to make a second first trip, in a way" Chloe says lightly, glossing over the awkward moment with a quick smile. But the lady just looks confused, staring between the two questioningly "We um… we're not colorblind anymore" she continues when the silence stretches on long enough to be uncomfortable.

"You're not… But it's not something that goes away" the worker says incredulously. "Especially not for two people." She sounds so surprised that Chloe is trying not to be upset by her words, reminding herself that this is a happy thing for her and Aubrey.

"Well, it did happen" Aubrey snaps, obviously bothered by the woman for some reason beyond what Chloe is feeling. "We were together this morning, and suddenly the rest of the colors showed up. For both of us." Chloe reaches out and grabs Aubrey's hand as she speaks, giving it a reassuring squeeze in hopes that it will keep her calm.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to offend you" the lady rushes to apologize. "It's just that, our eyes don't change, our souls do when they meet their other piece. That's where the colors come from, the recognition of the beauty of true completion . For someone to be colorblind then suddenly not, it doesn't make any sense."

Chloe can tell Aubrey is starting to tense again, but the honest feeling in the woman's voice as she describes the process has nearly melted her own frustrations. Then an idea occurs to her, and she nearly gasps before biting her lip. Aubrey isn't going to like this. But she has to know, so with a deep breath and a squeeze of her soulmate's hand, she asks. "If it takes meeting a soulmate, then could our colorblindness have been caused not by an issue with our eyes, but instead by the fact we were missing a piece? Because the rest of the colors came when we met someone at the activity fair this morning."

From the way Aubrey is trembling next to her, Chloe knows she's upset, but she surprisingly doesn't interrupt of speak when she finishes, and Chloe wonders if maybe Aubrey was thinking the same thing, just hoping she was wrong.

The woman in front of them is frowning slightly, as if trying to remember something. "There have been rumors of that happening, but most people assume that they're just stories. In my twenty years of working here at the museum, I've never seen it happen. Until now, apparently."

Chloe can tell that Aubrey is fighting to keep her control, so with a few polite exchanges to end the conversation, she says goodbye to the lady and leads Aubrey out of the museum. Ten can come back another time, or not, but right now they need to be alone to talk about this.

By unspoken agreement they're both quiet until they reach their apartment and settle in, neither wanting to start and stop the conversation once they get going. "There's no way" Aubrey finally says once they're settled in, each with a glass of wine in hand to help soothe their nerves. "We're happy, we love each other, and we're complete. There's no way we need this girl."

"We may not _need_ her, Aubrey" Chloe responds, "but how else can you explain this? We both went from colorblind to not the second we met her eyes. Yes we're happy, and yes we love each other, but what else could that mean?" Chloe isn't trying to hurt Aubrey, never wants to make her question what they have, but she isn't willing to hide form an answer either. If Beca is somehow their third soulmate, Chloe believes that there has to be a reason for that.

"I don't know, Chloe, but even if that's a possibility, we're happy together. We make each other better. I can't lose that, Chloe. I can't lose you." There's an honest pain in Aubrey's voice that Chloe hates to hear, and she hurries to reassure her girlfriend.

"You won't Bree, I'm not going anywhere, I promise you."

"Then why do we need to talk about this? What is worth even risking it? Can't we just ignore it and move on?" The pain is still there, with an edge of desperation and insecurity that has Chloe tempted to give in, just to hear it disappear. But she learned early on in their friendship that giving in to Aubrey's stronger personality with no care for her own wants only made trouble between them. Living together all last year had reinforced that, and taught each woman how to balance their needs and personalities.

So despite the urge to just give in, Chloe speaks up instead. "I can't ignore it. Aubrey, we met her for a reason, you know I believe that. Just like I believe you and I met for a reason." Chloe takes a deep breath and takes both of Aubrey's hands in her own, staring into her girlfriend's eyes. "You and I, we took a while to get started. You were nervous then too, but look at us now. This doesn't have to be a bad thing." Aubrey is meeting her eyes, but Chloe sees no acceptance there.

"I don't know, Chloe. I don't think I can. She just, she just set me on edge. I can't help but feel like it's a bad idea. And she left the booth without saying anything. Maybe she isn't willing to try either." Chloe won't push Aubrey on this, they've both been honest about how they feel, and any decision made after this will be based on that fact. And as much as Chloe wants to settle this, she knows that after such an emotional day, they're in no place to make the decision.

So instead of continuing the conversation, Chloe turns and cuddles into Aubrey's side, wanting the closeness for reassurance. Aubrey seems to need it as well, pulling her close as they sit in silence.

"No matter what else, I will always love you" Chloe says quietly after a while, leaning up to kiss Aubrey's cheek.

"I love you too" comes the soft response, each woman settling back into silence as they get lost in their individual thoughts.


	3. Chapter 3

This chapter we start to get some of Beca's thoughts and reactions, as well as more of Chloe and Aubrey and their reactions.

* * *

Beca barely makes it back to her dorm, the colors around her overwhelming in their intensity. This can't be happening. Surely this is some kind of mistake in the universe. She can't have just met her soulmate; she'd sworn that she didn't need a soulmate.

She knew there were people who never met theirs, or didn't have one, and she'd decided when her father left that she'd be one of them. Obviously having a soulmate doesn't mean you'll end up happy, and losing what was supposed to be perfect for you had to hurt more than never finding it, right? Based on how her mother had taken the divorce, Beca was sure it wasn't worth it.

That's why she'd started wearing black and gray all the time, only giving in to her mother's demands for some kind of color because she'd known it made her happy. She still preferred the dark shades that almost looked black to her, but at least it was color. But now, now if she were willing to she could look down and see that her shirt isn't black, and even if it's not bright, it's not her. Nothing about this new world around her is comfortable, it's all too bright.

Surely the universe can't be this cruel, inflicting a soulmate on her. It's not fair to her, or to the person the universe had somehow decided was supposed to be stuck with her. No, it had to be a mistake.

The colors had flickered in, they didn't just appear like her mother had described when she'd reminisce about the past. And she'd been talking to those two girls, who were wearing matching soulmates bands, which made even les sense. No one else had been around, but how could your soulmate have a soulmate already?

Beca sighs and rolls over in bed, pulling her blanket over her head so she can pretend the colors never happened, that she's still safely in her black and white comfort zone. At least for tonight, she can ignore the events of the day.

Of course she dreams in color now. Chloe and Aubrey both cycle through, bright hair and eyes dancing through her dreams, matching the beat of Beca's latest mashup. And when she wakes up, Beca is more confused than before, because her music has always been her own. Her music understands her, and she understands it. She'd often joked that the only way she'd see colors was if she came face to face with an album of her own. That had always been her dream, her goal for her life.

To mix her music with the far too confusing emotions surrounding those two women is too much for her, and Beca tries desperately to push any and all thoughts of them out of her mind. She dresses in all black for the day, ignoring the newly revealed shades in her wardrobe. Maybe she can't ignore the colors around her, but at least her own look doesn't have to acknowledge them.

As she explores the campus before classes start, mostly to avoid being easy to find if her father looks for her, she sees the two women a few times in the crowd. But every time she does, she manages to head another direction before they can get close enough to talk. Talking to them again will just make things that much harder to ignore.

She's going to focus on keeping her head down, avoiding as many people as possible, and just get through this college thing with no fuss. That's the plan, and even if Beca usually hates following plans, this one is right up her alley.

The pang of emotion every time she turns away is harder to ignore than even the rush of color around her, but Beca is stubborn enough that once she's decided, she's sticking to the plan. She tells herself that she can't miss what she's never had, and tries to believe it.

Maybe is she keeps telling herself that, the pang will go away.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Chloe and Aubrey have both noticed Beca avoiding them, and both feel vaguely guilty for their reaction, knowing how the other feels.

Chloe feels hurt that the younger woman is avoiding them, and almost wants to run after her to demand that she talk to them. At the same time, she knows Aubrey feels insecure enough as it is, and she won't risk hurting her further.

And Aubrey feels grateful that Beca won't talk to them, as well as unsettled by the woman's choice of attire. The stark black clothing seems like a direct rejection to the blonde, and makes her even more certain that soulmate or not, Beca isn't good for them. But she knows how Chloe feels, and wishes that she could make her girlfriend happy.

They have a quiet dinner in that night, neither really willing to face crowds or conversation, each caught up in their own thoughts. They stay close to each other all night, both needing the reassurance that comes from physical presence as they continue to adjust to the changes.

It's not until Chloe wakes up crying that they talk about it. "She wouldn't even look at us, Bree. Why wouldn't she look at us?" Chloe cries into Aubrey's shoulder, her earlier restraint lost to lack of sleep and the emotions of the nightmare.

And Aubrey is only half awake, but she knows Chloe isn't trying to hurt her, so she doesn't respond verbally. Instead she pulls the redhead closer and lets her cry, running soothing hands across her back as she slowly calms.

When Chloe wakes up enough to shake the last remnants of the nightmare away and stop the tears, she knows she won't be able to fall asleep again, not wanting to risk the dream returning. So when a glance at the clock reveals it's already almost six, she tries to roll over and get out of bed to start the day. But Aubrey pulls her back as she turns, not willing to let her go just yet.

That's when Chloe realizes that she must have hurt Aubrey, so she settles back into her girlfriend's side without complains. "I'm sorry" she eventually whispers into the darkness of the room, hoping Aubrey can tell how sincere she is from the tone of her voice.

"You don't have to apologize for how you feel" comes the equally quiet response. "I know it hurt that she was avoiding us, and part of me wishes I could go track her down and make her realize what she was doing to you. But Chloe, we can't push her on this"

"Do you really feel like that?" Chloe can't help but ask, knowing Aubrey's reservations about Beca.

"She hurt you, of course I want to make her realize why that's a bad thing" comes the immediate answer. "I may not be willing to accept that we should try to bring her into this relationship, and I may think she doesn't fit into our life, but I know you want that, and I know how much you hated her avoiding us."

"So what are we going to do?"

"What can we do, really? We can't make her do anything, and we can't agree on what we want to do together. We have to just let things be." Chloe knows Aubrey is right, but patience is not her strong suit. Especially when she's as emotionally invested as she already is.

She's only had one conversation with the woman, and it was a complete disaster, but she can't forget the deep blue of her eyes, or the glimmer of mischief lurking in them as she'd taunted Aubrey. There was just something about the younger woman that won't let her go.

But if Beca wants to ignore them, then Aubrey's suggestion that they let things be is the only option they really have. No matter how much Chloe wishes there was something she could do to change the situation.

XXXXXXXXXXX

As the next month passes, Chloe gets used to Beca avoiding them, though the hurt never really disappears. She and Aubrey discuss it occasionally, but with Beca still ignoring them there's never really anything new to add, so they mostly avoid mentioning it completely.

Chloe knows they both think about her often, but they keep the thoughts to themselves. They focus instead on strategies for the Bellas, on how they'll manage to find the girls they need to keep the Bella tradition going. Chloe knows Aubrey is stressing about the pressure that puts on them, and starts making sure they take the time to relax at least once a week. Aubrey's worrying won't make singers appear, so Chloe does her best to keep her girlfriend on level emotional ground, even as she does her best to find singers around campus that she can invite.

She's so focused on finding women that when she hears someone singing in the showers, she forgets that most people expect privacy and goes in search of the mystery singer. And when she pulls the curtain aside and sees Beca, her heart seems to leap, and before she can think about it, she's calling out to the girl, smiling widely. "You can sing!" she all but yells, not minding that Beca jumps in shock and tries to hide "How high does your belt go?" she asks as she shuts off the water, stepping further into the shower and closer to the younger girl.

"Dude, get out!" Beca is exclaiming in front of her, ignoring the question as she tries to cover herself, and Chloe can't help noticing how attractive the other woman is, before feeling guilty. Even if Beca is one of her soulmates, they aren't together, and Chloe is with Aubrey. Still, she'd heard Beca sing, and she needs more.

"You have to audition for the Bellas" she tries, focusing on the reason she'd actually entered the shower stall in an attempt to banish the less innocent thoughts from her head.

"I can't concentrate on anything you're saying until you cover your junk" Beca says as she deliberately stares at the ceiling. Chloe is trying not to be hurt by Beca refusing to look at her even when cornered, and only the realization that she's still nude lets her succeed. Still, she has a goal, and she's going to accomplish it.

"Just consider it" she tries again, launching into a list of reasons why joining would be awesome, before realizing it's not working, and switches to connecting with Beca over the song she'd been singing. And okay, maybe mentioning that "Titanium" is her lady jam was a bit much, but when Beca had bent over to retrieve her loofah Chloe's thoughts had taken a definite turn back towards the less than innocent before she could remind herself that she's on a mission.

As soon as Beca gives in and starts singing, Chloe loses herself in the music, automatically joining in with the higher register, eyes locked on Beca's as they harmonize. And as they sing, Chloe realizes that she will never be complete without Beca, no matter how much she loves Aubrey. Seeing Beca at the fair had brought colors to her life, but it's here in the shower that she really feels the connection. If only Aubrey was here as well, Chloe would never want to leave.

As it is, the verse ends all too soon, and Beca loses the confidence she'd gained from the music, clutching the offered towel to her chest as she awkwardly makes eye contact. Chloe is so amazed by the melody and eye contact, hesitant or not, that she has to remind herself to leave before she ends up pushing Beca away. "See you at auditions!" she calls over her shoulder as she heads back to her own stall to finish showering, hurrying through the rest of her routine in her haste to get to auditions.

She doesn't end up having enough time to talk to Aubrey beforehand, so she's left alone with her nerves as hopefuls cross the stage. She tries to give each singer her undivided attention, but can't get the memory of her earlier duet out of her mind.

She feels Aubrey stiffen next to her when Beca comes out of the wings, knows the younger woman has won no points by not having the song prepared. But Chloe knows what Beca can do, and no matter what she sings, Aubrey is going to have to let her in. But then Beca surprises the entire auditorium with a relatively simple song that nevertheless puts her towards the top of the audition list.

And Chloe knows that she'll have a lot of explaining to do once she and Aubrey start to go over their lists, because Beca doesn't take her eyes off her the entire time she's singing. And she can tell it bothers her girlfriend, but she also knows Aubrey well enough to see that the singing got through to her, at least a little.

She wants Beca and Aubrey to speak after auditions, but the younger woman disappears before they can catch up to her. So instead of talking to Beca, they end up walking silently back to the apartment, each lost in their own thoughts.

The silence doesn't last long once they're home though. "What the hell was that?" Aubrey asks almost as soon as the door shuts behind them.

"I convinced her to audition this morning" Chloe starts, taking Aubrey's hand in her own. "I was going to tell you, but there wasn't time before auditions, and then we were focused on listening. Aubrey, she's really good, and I think the Bellas need her."

"The Bellas need her, or you need her?" Aubrey snaps, and immediately softens when Chloe winces. "I'm sorry, that was uncalled for. I just got so jealous, the way she wouldn't stop looking at you" And Chloe knows how hard it is for Aubrey to admit that, even after years of learning how to be open with each other.

"That was just because I convinced her to audition" she tries to reason, knowing that Aubrey isn't going to like the rest of the story. "And Bree, remember that she might not know having two soulmates is possible. We didn't."

"How did you even find out she could sing like that?" comes the expected question, and Chloe almost wishes she could lie, but she knows that lies destroy relationships, and she won't risk that. She does lead Aubrey to the couch before answering, wanting them to be settled before starting this part of the conversation.

"I sort of heard her singing in the dorm showers when I stopped before auditions, and didn't realize who it was until I'd invaded her shower stall" Chloe says hesitantly, trying to keep her eyes on Aubrey's face, despite wanting to hide in a pillow and miss any potential reproach that she might see there. She's still not embarrassed about what happened, but she knows how it sounds, and she's worried about how Aubrey is going to take it.

"You burst in on her in the shower?" Aubrey eventually asks, face carefully blank in a way that worries Chloe even as she nods. She isn't expecting Aubrey to start laughing, and her surprise keeps her quiet until her girlfriend stops. "Chloe, I know you wanted to talk to her, but cornering her in the shower seems a little much."

"I didn't know it was her at first!" Chloe tries to explain. "I just heard her voice, and knew we had to have that sound in the Bellas. Believe me Aubrey, what we heard in auditions is only a fraction of what she can do. She can help us." Chloe is almost desperate for Aubrey to understand, because not only can Beca help the Bellas, but she can help them. Beca can help their relationship in ways Chloe can't even imagine, she just knows it.

And Chloe knows that her girlfriend is scared of that fact, of the idea that what they've built so far isn't perfect, that she somehow isn't perfect. But that's not how Chloe feels at all, and she's trying to find words to explain, to show the blonde how she feels. Because Chloe knows that Aubrey is perfect as she is, and their relationship is perfect as well.

But if Beca is somehow perfect for them as well, then Chloe doesn't want to miss out on expanding her relationship with Aubrey into one that includes her as well. Because as perfect as Aubrey is, Chloe has been dreaming about having the storybook perfect relationship for years, and as it stands, they need Beca for that. There's a reason they brunette gave them colors, and Chloe wants to find out.

But even as all of that swirls in her head, she can't put it into words that she knows won't hurt Aubrey. Because now that Chloe knows more is possible, and meant to happen, there's an undercurrent of longing even when she's with Aubrey. She's happy, never been happier than when she's with her girlfriend, but now there's a what if hanging over them, and Chloe knows that Aubrey will take it as not being good enough, even when that's the farthest thing from the truth. So she chokes down the words, keeps them in her head while she waits for her girlfriend's answer.

And Aubrey seems to be going through her own internal struggle, almost visibly arguing with herself as Chloe tries not to hold her breath in anticipation. "Okay" the blonde finally says reluctantly. "But we don't bring up that we think she's our third soulmate, and if she brings it up, we both talk to her. Because if she thinks it's only one of us, she might come to you first, but it's going to affect us all."

"Does this mean you're willing to consider bringing her into the relationship?" Chloe asks, needing to know where Aubrey stands.

"Not yet" comes the disappointing but expected answer. "We don't even know her yet. And I'm still worried that she won't fit, with us or the Bellas. But I am willing to give her a chance in the Bellas, and willing to get to know her before we make any actual decisions about all of us."

Chloe has been shifting closer to Aubrey the entire time she was explaining, and as soon as she's done, closes the rest of the distance to pull her girlfriend close "No matter what happens, we will have each other" Chloe whispers into her girlfriend's hair, squeezing tightly before letting go and grabbing her notes on the other women who'd auditioned. They have a lot of work to do before initiation tonight.


	4. Chapter 4

Beca still isn't entirely certain what made her agree to audition for an a capella group, though she has to admit that something about Chloe's eyes was probably the biggest push. She doesn't know anything about the other girl, won't even admit that she probably had something to do with the colors that now surround her, but when Chloe had argued so passionately for her to join, Beca couldn't seem to refuse her.

The look in those eyes had even gotten Beca through the embarrassment of singing where other people could hear her, and Beca couldn't manage to look away the entire time. She'd been aware that Aubrey was getting upset with her the longer she kept the eye contact, but Beca couldn't help it. Something about the look of pure belief on Chloe's face had captured her and wouldn't let go.

That was why she'd run as soon as auditions ended, not wanting to face either woman. She doesn't know what's going on, but she knows none of this was supposed to happen. She was supposed to be avoiding the two, not willingly putting herself I a positon where she'd see them all the time. She's not even considering the possibility that she won't make it into the group, there's no way Chloe will let her off the hook that easily.

And there's a part of her, a small and decidedly traitorous part, that's glad the older woman is taking the initiative. Because even with the continued avoidance of the past month, she hasn't been able to forget her, or Aubrey, or the questions the two of them raised

She's walking slowly back to her dorm after her late class,, lost in thought, when the hood is thrown over her head and she feels someone grab her arms. She's about to start struggling when she hears a familiar voice. "Easy Beca, it's initiation night" comes Chloe's soft reassurance, and without hesitation Beca follows along, questioning all the while how the woman manages to disarm her so easily. She reminds herself repeatedly that she doesn't actually know the woman, but she's still following the guidance of the hand it hers as she's led off who knows where.

She watches Chloe and Aubrey interact through the oath, and Chloe's wink after her protest about drinking throws her completely. Because the women are definitely wearing matching rings, and the way they act together is definitely couple behavior. Not that they're making out or hanging on each other, but they're obviously constantly aware of each other, comfortable with each other in a way that goes beyond just friends. So why is Chloe winking at her like that? And why does the universe have to do this to her?

She's almost embarrassingly grateful to get to the hood night party and away from the questions they're raising. She even finds herself hoping for a distraction from Jesse, knowing he likes her, though he's claimed many times at the radio that he's waiting for a woman who makes his life sound like the best movie soundtrack he's ever heard. She also knows from those conversations that he's one of the people who believes in casual dating for fun while you wait to find your soulmate, and that he assumes Beca's wardrobe choices mean she hasn't met hers yet.

So Beca finds herself responding to his flirting, needing the distraction as she tries to avoid the way Aubrey is glaring at her. She's not intending to go anywhere with it, but he's safe, and doesn't make her think. And after the emotions of the day, a cup of beer and not thinking sounds really good.

Of course, as soon as Jesse leaves, Chloe pops up in front of her, and Beca is left really wishing she had those beers right about now. Especially because Chloe is clearly on her way to tipsy, and Aubrey is still glaring. And Beca can already tell that things with the blonde are going to be tense, so the glare just provokes her this time, and she finds herself flirting with Chloe, knowing it's dangerous territory but finding herself not caring. Tomorrow at practice will be the time for regrets, tonight she's feeling almost stupidly brave.

Of course, the bravery has its cost, and Beca knows she's going to dream about the depths of color in Chloe's eyes for weeks, and about the way she's pulled so close to the woman that they're nearly kissing. She wonders for a minute what kissing Chloe would feel like, but bravery only gets her so far, and there's no way she's going to pull a stunt like that, even to piss of Aubrey.

She settles instead for staring at her ass as she walks away, and gulping down the beer Jesse brings for her immediately after. It's cheap, and nothing she'd normally drink on her own, but I'll get her drunk, hopefully drunk enough to ignore the possessive way Aubrey is holding Chloe, and the strange twist of emotions it brings to Beca's gut. So instead of focusing on them, Beca drinks until she knows she needs to stop, and continues flirting with Jesse, making sure it stays harmlessly innocent. And it works, other than the occasional glimpse of Chloe or Aubrey through the crowd.

She does regret the drinking the next day, as Aubrey pushes them through choreography and a workout that Beca is sure she designed purely to punish her for speaking up at the beginning of practice. There's no other reason to make seven hungover girls run laps on the stairs that Beca can see, even if they do have a performance next week.

Of course, things only get worse after practice, when Aubrey comments on her style, her attitude, and the apparent "toner" she has for Jesse. And there's a strange note in the blonde's voice as she critiques the last that Beca can't place. Because Chloe is never mentioned, and Beca had been sure there would have been some kind of response, even if just a "stay away from Chloe" like she's currently getting about Jesse.

Still, the whole situation is so ridiculous that instead of denying the accusations she continues to antagonize Aubrey, even as she walks away. Sarcasm and avoidance, her oldest standbys for serious situations, save her again

They're nowhere to be found a week later though, when Chloe tearfully tells the Bellas that she has nodes. Aubrey is already at her side, but Beca has to push down the urge to rush to them both, which is absurd. She's only known them for a week, only seem them at Bella's practice. She doesn't even care this much about people she's known for years, has never let herself get so attached.

But now she is honestly concerned, and can't stop herself from speaking up, almost twitching with the effort it takes to stand in place. She tries not to think about it too much when she's back in her dorm, but she finds herself looking up self-care tips for nodes and texting the links to Chloe, ignoring the response and the emotions swirling through her. Even if she's apparently starting to care, that doesn't mean she's going to give in that easily. She still doesn't know what's going on, but she does still knows that relationships are a risky business that she's better off avoiding.

Simple as that.

XXXXXXXXXXX

"Look Aubrey, Beca sent me a list of ways to help deal with my nodes" Chloe says excitedly when the link comes through, only skimming the article before she's sending off a thank you text that she hopes isn't too over the top. "I told you she cared, I could tell she was worried today when she heard." Even with the undercurrent of fear Chloe has felt since she'd head the doctor tell her what was wrong, she can't help but feel almost giddy at the text on her phone.

It was the same thing Aubrey had done as soon as they got home, pulling out her laptop and looking up everything she could find on how to tread them, and how to help Chloe deal with them. Several of the other Bellas had sent comforting texts, but Beca was the only one who went home and researched. And it wasn't a list that Aubrey had found, though it contained most of the same information, so obviously Beca had done just as much searching as her girlfriend had.

"I didn't argue with that, Chloe. I'm just saying that being concerned about this doesn't mean she's willing to consider a relationship with either of us. You saw her at hood night, I know you did. It's why you nearly kissed her, she was off flirting with that Treble."

"I wasn't going to kiss her!" Chloe ties to argue. Because yes she'd seen the flirting, and was tipsy enough to get a little handsy, but even while drunkenly affectionate she knows better than to kiss anyone but her girlfriend.

"Still, I know you were jealous. And that was only a week ago, Chloe. I just don't want you to get your hopes up and end up hurt. And I don't want to get hurt either." Chloe knows her girlfriend has a point, but she's still hopeful. She can't help it, it's practically hardwired into her personality to see the best in every situation.

It's one of the ways Aubrey balances her out, the blonde is always realistic and logical about things. The balance between them makes Chloe wonder what Beca would contribute to their views as a group. She's been doing that a lot lately, trying to imagine how the brunette would fit into their life, because she firmly believes there is a space that is supposed to be filled, even if she can't see it.

"I know, Bree. But we still haven't been able to get to know her, and she cared enough to find this. You have to admit that's at least a little promising, right?" Aubrey just sighs at her, crossing the room from where she'd still been researching on her laptop before answering.

"Why don't we see how she acts in practice, and if she's willing to get to know us, before we make any kind of assumptions about how she feels" she says as she settles next to Chloe, running her hands through the redhead's hair. "It's easy to care through a text message, but that doesn't mean she's going to open up in real life."

And as practices pass without Beca changing how she acts towards them, Chloe has to admit Aubrey had a point. Even when she tries to pass her solo to the brunette, there's no real emotion response to anything but the music. And even though Chloe loves how much Beca has obviously become invested in the Bellas, it doesn't help with the longing she feels every time the brunette brushes her or Aubrey off.

That's part of the reason she speaks up to defend Beca, even knowing Aubrey will probably take it as an attack on her. She can convince the blonde later that Chloe will always be on her side. She just wants the younger woman to see that Chloe is willing to be on her side too, because she really does agree with both of them.

It seems to work, because even though Aubrey snaps at them and refuses to budge, there aren't any of the danger signs Chloe knows so well to warn her that Aubrey is being pushed too far. And Beca is actually smiling at her when Aubrey turns her back, not completely avoiding her gaze. Maybe, just maybe, the brunette has taken a step closer to them, Chloe thinks. Or at least, close to her, which is closer to Aubrey by default.

She suggests a Bellas bonding session to Aubrey later that night, and gets a look that tells her Aubrey knows what she's up to, but her girlfriend nods anyway. "We're not letting them sleep off hangovers in our living room" is all she says, even though Chloe knows that's exactly what is going to happen, because a bonding night just isn't complete without at least one overly personal drinkging game.

She still vividly remembers having to admit to the awkwardness that was her first kiss, back in middle school, a story that she hopes will never be mentioned again. Still, if it brings the Bellas, or specifically Beca, closer together, Chloe is more than willing to put up with a little thing like embarrassment. She knows Aubrey won't play, but that's okay too. They'll need someone sober and responsible, and Aubrey still doesn't do well with opening up to other people.

They're already well on their way to drunk when Stacie suggests "Never Have I Ever", and everyone but Aubrey and Beca agrees immediately. Beca tries to back out, but Chloe quickly jumps in to push her a little. "Come on, Beca! It's a bonding night, we're supposed to learn more about each other. How are we going to do that if you won't play?" Chloe knows she's using the same puppy dog eyes on the brunette that she uses on her girlfriend, but she figures she can be forgiven for that. It's not like she's using one of the more personal methods of persuasion, after all.

"Aubrey isn't playing" Beca quickly points out, looking at the blonde like she'll somehow save her from this. But Aubrey knows how much this means to Chloe, and she _had_ promised to give finding out more about Beca a chance, so she quickly jumps in on Chloe's side.

"That's because I'm the designated sober chaperone tonight. Someone needs to make sure no one hurts themselves, or ends up on YouTube for something stupid."

"Fine." Beca finally says, giving in to the expectant looks from the entire group. "But I reserved the right to refuse to explain something."

"Nope" Chloe says with a grin, setting a shot down in front of the girl with a wink. "Normal rules apply. But we will let you go first."

"Fine" Beca says again, this time with a roll of her eyes. "Never have I ever donated blood."

"That's what you start us off with? Come on girl, you know there's some good stuff in this group" Cynthia Rose says as Chloe, Denise, and Jessica drink. Beca just shrugs and gestures for Jessica to go, looking down at the shot in front of her longingly.

Aubrey keeps the shots full as the game goes on, making sure the girls drinking the most also drink plenty of water between shots. The questions range from innocent (Chloe and Ashley end up drinking the most for those), to decidedly sexual (Stacie, Cynthia Rose, and Fat Amy drink most for those).

It's not a fast game, as they often stop to hear explanations when someone surprises them. It takes a full five minutes of Denise explaining that she hadn't _meant_ to kick a dog before Chloe will let it drop, for example. Still, they're all definitely intoxicated before too long, and that's when Stacie asks the most loaded question of the night.

"Never have I ever met my soulmate" she asks, and Chloe can see Aubrey freeze where she's standing in the kitchen grabbing more water. Still, the question has been asked, and Chloe slams her shot back, seeing Lilly, Denise, and Cynthia Rose do the same even as she hears Beca protest.

"Dude, that' snot something you're supposed to ask people!" the brunette splutters, hand on her glass but not drinking.

"What, it's not like I'm asking if people are _with_ their soulmate or anything, I'm just curious" Stacie defends with a shrug. "Besides, it's pretty straightforward, either you see color and drink, or you don't and you don't. These guys didn't seem to have a problem with it" she says with a wave at the four who'd taken the shot.

"Fine" Beca mutters yet again, before slamming back the shot and leaving the table. Seven pairs of eyes are staring after her in shock, but Chloe and Aubrey both follow without a word, finding the brunette sitting on the edge of the guest bed with her head in her hands, elbows braced firmly on her knees.

"I'm really not in the mood to have this discussion right now" comes the muffled voice, as if Beca knows exactly who followed her into the room.

"Believe me, neither am I" Aubrey says with a sigh, shutting the door behind them. "And don't worry, we're not having it while you two are both this drunk. But Beca, I don't want you to run away tomorrow and pretend nothing happened, because that will only hurt Chloe and make this all take longer." And Chloe knows she's definitely drunk, because when Aubrey starts being this protectively concerned about her happiness, it's all she can do to keep from tackling her girlfriend into a hug.

"And what if I don't want to have this conversation when I'm sober, either?" Beca asks, finally looking up at them.

"Then you'll still be hurting Chloe, and I'll be upset with you. And even if I'm not sold on any of this, I'm not okay with letting people hurt Chloe's feelings. Now Beca, even with your attitude and frustrating ability to find every button I have, you're actually a good person, and we know you at least care about Chloe. So please, we aren't asking for you to do anything but talk to us at some point tomorrow."

"Why do you even want to talk to me?" Beca stalls, still looking at them, but wrapping her arms around herself defensively. Chloe goes to speak, but Aubrey quiets her with a quick glance.

"If we get into that, we're going to end up having the conversation tonight. So will you just trust us, and promise that you won't run? Because I'll let Chloe track you down if you try, and take it from me, she does not give up when she wants something." Beca is looking between the two older women, taking in the guarded look on Aubrey's face, as well as what Chloe knows is an openly hopeful look on her own.

"Just give us a chance, Beca" Chloe whispers when she hesitates, wanting to reassure her, but not knowing how without starting the conversation she knows Aubrey is right to put off. She nearly tackles Beca back onto the bed when she slowly nods, but settles for beaming widely, pulling Aubrey into her side to satisfy her need for physical connection. They've only just gotten the reluctant agreement to talk, there's no way an over the top physical gesture will help the situation.

"We'll head back out to the others then, finish out the bonding night. If you want to stay in here for a while, we'll make an excuse for you" Aubrey says, a gentle note in her voice that Chloe doesn't think Beca has ever heard before. Now that Chloe thinks about it, that particular tone mostly comes when Aubrey is talking to her, when she's starting to feel overwhelmed by something.

So when they leave the room and the door is shut firmly behind them, Chloe pulls Aubrey into a tight hug, trying to wordlessly thank her for softening towards the other woman. "What changed?" she whispers into her hair, knowing her girlfriend will understand what she's talking about.

"She looks about as overwhelmed as I remember feeling the first time I met you, and I remember being so hesitant to give us a shot, I can't blame her for reacting the way I would have if you hadn't taken the lead and pushed me. And she has to face both of us, which has to be even more intimidating. She deserves a chance."

"Well, we'll see tomorrow if she's willing to give us one too" Chloe says with a hopeful smile, before walking with her girlfriend back into the living room to where the other Bellas are still waiting. They can deal with that tomorrow, tonight they still have some bonding to get to.


	5. Chapter 5

Beca sits in the spare room for a long time after they leave, trying to organize the swirling mess of thoughts in her head into something coherent. She was supposed to ignore both of them, but when Chloe asked her to audition, she'd gone along with it and now spent at least part of every day with both of them. She wasn't supposed to care, but she couldn't help it when Chloe told the Bellas she has nodes.

And now a stupid drinking game has led to a promise to stick around for a talk that Beca really doesn't want to have. She still has no idea what's going on with the whole situation, but between the softness in Aubrey's voice and the look on Chloe's face, she knows she's farther into it than she ever intended to be.

After what has to be at least fifteen minutes of thinking in circles and getting nowhere, Beca decides to rejoin the party. If she thinks about this anymore, she's going to end up bolting, and she knows Chloe will just end up following if she does. So instead she goes back to drinking, accepting every glass of water Aubrey gives her without an argument, noticing that Aubrey seems to pay more attention to Chloe and her than the rest of the Bellas, bringing them regular rounds of water and making sure they don't gulp down their drinks too quickly.

Still, with the awkwardness of the game over, Beca is able to relax enough to enjoy the night, even as she's continuously aware of both seniors. She quickly claims the couch when the Bellas start passing out; not wanting to share the admittedly more comfortable spare bed with whomever else decides they can fit. She thinks that Jessica, Ashley, and Denise all end up sharing the full size mattress, and as much as Beca is starting to like the others, there's no way she wants to be that close to them all night.

Aubrey passes out enough blankets for the rest of the group, and then leaves them to find the most comfortable sleeping option as she disappears into her room behind Chloe. Beca resolutely ignores the pang of jealousy that the sight brings, reminding herself that she isn't supposed to care as she deliberately turns her back on the room.

She pretends to be asleep the next morning until the last of the Bellas have stumbled out, surprised that she doesn't feel worse than she does. There's only a mild headache, and none of the nausea she hears a few of the others complain about as they leave. Apparently having Aubrey in charge of how much water she drank was a better idea than she'd realized.

Once Fat Amy stumbles out the door muttering something about crocodiles and hangovers, Beca opens her eyes and sits up, somehow unsurprised to see both Aubrey and Chloe staring at her from where they're sitting at the table. "How are you feeling?" Chloe asks immediately, foot bouncing nervously while she waits for an answer.

"Actually not as bad as I thought I would" Beca admits. She debates saying more for a second, before deciding that she really is grateful for Aubrey's care, and should go ahead and say so. "Having Aubrey push water at me every fifteen minutes obviously helps more than I'd thought it would." She can see Aubrey getting ready to respond, and doesn't want to drag out what is likely to be an already long and awkward talk with the addition of a lecture on healthy water habits. "Look, what did you guys want to talk to me about?" she says before the blonde can start. "Because I'm still not really feeling like having this conversation, so maybe we can get right to it before I realize this is crazy?"

She sees Chloe's face fall and Aubrey frown, and wants to kick herself both for starting that way and for caring about their reaction. "It's not crazy!" Chloe starts, before Aubrey interrupts.

"It's a little crazy, Chloe. Let's all be honest here. The whole situation makes no sense, but maybe if we talk about it we can make some sense out of it." Chloe looks like she wants to interrupt in return, but as Aubrey continues she settles for a reluctant nod. And even if Beca still doesn't want to talk about it, at least they're agreeing that nothing makes sense. "Beca, what we wanted to talk to you about has to do with the fact that when we saw you at the activity fair, we both went from seeing a few muted colors, to seeing all of them. We talked to someone about it, and we've both discussed it a few times, and there's only one explanation that makes any sense. So what we want to know is did something similar happen when you met us?"

Beca isn't sure whether to be glad or overwhelmed that Aubrey jumped right in the middle of the questions she'd known she wouldn't be able to avoid for much longer, even if she did ask that they skip small talk and get right to it. On one hand, at least it's out in the open now, and apparently the two seniors know something she doesn't. On the other hand, the sudden nature of the question has her reeling. "Yeah, they sort of flickered in" she hears herself say, mouth speaking before her brain can filter.

"I knew it!" Chloe all but yells, startling Beca and making her slight headache worse. "Sorry" she says sheepishly when she notices Beca's wince, hand raising to cover her mouth.

"Knew what?" is all Beca can think to ask, feeling very out of the loop and finding she doesn't much like the sensation.

"Knew that, based on everything accepted as fact about colors, you have to be our soulmate, both of us" Aubrey says, completely matter of fact as Chloe nods enthusiastically. It takes Beca a minute to process what she meant, and when the words actually register, she kind of feels like finding whatever power in the universe controls these things, and slapping them into another dimension. Preferably one far away from any she's in. What kind of sick joke is it that the girl who swore she neither needed nor wanted a soulmate somehow ends up with two?

"You have got to be kidding me" she says out loud, watching as Aubrey shushed Chloe so she can continue. "So what, this is you two telling me we're all supposed to live happily ever after? Because just because we're supposedly soulmates doesn't mean that we'd all work out, or that I'd work out for you. And there's no way I'm jumping into a relationship I've never wanted just because some colors tell me it's supposed to happen." Beca cuts herself off before saying anything else, because even with her insistence that she's going to hold back and not let herself open up, something about the two women in front of her makes that harder than she'd thought.

"No, Beca" Chloe says, and she's surprised the denial isn't coming from Aubrey. "I mean, I know that I'd love to have you as part of our relationship, because I've seen how amazing being with your soulmate can be over the years I've been with Aubrey, but she's more cautious. We just want a chance to get to know you, to let you get to know us. No pressure, no expectations. Then we can make any decisions knowing exactly what we'd be deciding."

"And what if you get to know me and decide you want nothing to do with me? Soulmates don't equal happy endings, just ask my parents" Beca says bitterly, not even noticing what she'd said at first. She's never let anyone in far enough to know why she doesn't want a soulmate. Arm's length is better.

"I made the same point" Aubrey admits, interrupting Beca's train of thought. "Though I'll be honest and say it was more about being afraid you'd end up disrupting what Chloe and I have built together. But Beca, Chloe saw me stress vomit not an hour after we met, and not even that pushed her away. So whether we ever end up in a relationship or not, believe me when I say there probably isn't anything about you that could possibly make her want to have nothing to do with you."

Chloe had reached across the table to place a hand on Aubrey's arm halfway through her speech, giving her girlfriend a smile to comfort her as Aubrey visibly tensed. And even though Beca wishes she could go on denying it, the easy way they act around each other makes Beca jealous. "So what, then? I mean, we already see each other at practice every day, how much more do you guys want me around?"

"Well, Aubrey had the idea that we could all do something once a week, then if you want, we can try to spend time together individually outside of that. So you could get to know each of us separately, as well as seeing if and how the three of us fit" Chloe says before Aubrey can jump in. Beca can tell by the way she rushes through the proposal that she's nervous, and that strangely serves to reassure her. At least they aren't any surer of this than Beca is. And the idea is strangely attractive; Beca can tell that even though Aubrey is still hesitant, she's obviously put a lot of thought into it. Getting to know each of them individually will probably be a lot less of a challenge for her nerves, and having a night where they're all together will keep anyone from feeling left out or ignored.

"I think I can be okay with that" Beca says after thinking it over for a while. "As long as we don't tell the other Bellas." Chloe grins widely, and even Aubrey smiles at the agreement, both okay with Beca's stipulation, and Beca finds herself smiling back at them. She's still afraid she's just going to end up hurt, but she knows she won't be able to walk away from this now. She's in exactly the position she'd always sworn to avoid, and yet she knows the only way she can go is forward.

They end up hanging out for the rest of the day, playing music in the background and talking about whatever comes to mind. When Chloe finds out Beca has been avoiding color museums and anything that would be an acknowledgement of the colors around her, they all gather around Chloe's laptop to pull up different color introduction guides.

Beca hears them say several times as they browse that the guides aren't as visually stunning as the giant color wheel at the museum, but Beca had protested enough about even looking at the laptop to convince them that there is no way they'll get her to an actual museum.

And they both admit that there are some negative memories associated with the museum, and neither wants to risk starting things with Beca on a negative note. They end up sharing their memories of the museum with Beca, giving the younger woman a better idea of what they'd gone through, both after meeting each other and meeting her.

By the end of the day, Beca can't even begin to convince herself that she doesn't care about the two women, but she's somehow less scared about that than she'd imagined being. Because she'd opened up just as much as they had, and gotten nothing but support in return. Chloe had even hugged her a few times, though she never held on long enough for Beca to get uncomfortable. She seemed to know exactly how far she could push before it got to be too much, and when Beca had commented on that, Aubrey had laughed.

"It's because she somehow does" Aubrey explained. "We've found over the last three years that we each have our strengths, and one of Chloe's is definitely how well she can read other people. She's even better at it once she gets to know you." Chloe just shrugs at that, putting a hand on Beca's shoulder before walking over to kiss Aubrey on the cheek.

When Beca finally leaves, she's surprised by the reluctance she feels, already feeling comfortable in the presence of the two women. Still, the easy familiarity is also frightening when she remembers why she'd been hesitant in the first place, so there is a definite amount of relief mixed with the reluctance.

She leaves with plans to meet up with Aubrey the next day before her shift at the station, and she's definitely nervous about hanging out with the blonde without Chloe there as a buffer. She can see how she and Chloe could balance each other, but things between her and Aubrey have always been at least slightly antagonistic, which worries Beca anytime she tries to imagine anything long term with the two women. Her parents had argued too, even though they tried to hide it form her.

To her surprise though, she and Aubrey actually get along pretty well, as long as they avoid talking about the Bellas. They mainly talk about their fathers, a fact that surprises both of them. Still, even though the situations are different, the emotions are similar, and each woman begins to see how the other's reaction, while completely different, offers a balance to their own that they could possibly learn form.

Where Aubrey stresses over meeting every one of her father's expectations, Beca goes out of her way to avoid hitting them, even when they're objectively good goals to have. And now Beca is offering Aubrey a distraction from the pressure, while gaining some needed structure and a reason to seek approval that has nothing to do with her father.

She won't let Aubrey draw up homework plans of study schedules for her, but she does reluctantly agree that she'll come over to their apartment outside of their planned bonding nights to let the blonde help her study. She isn't sure why the blonde cares so much about her grades, but Beca finds that having someone who cares about them for her sake rather than just because they're grades makes her want to actually get good ones.

When Beca has to leave in order to make it to her shift on time, she's surprised at how quickly the time had passed. She'd been expecting the hour to drag on, full of arguments, boring small talk, and awkward silences. Instead she'd having to rush to avoid being late, arriving just before she's scheduled, and a little out of breath from the run. She already knows she's going to have a text from Aubrey with an "I told you so" mixed in with the reminder that cardio is important for more than the Bella's routine, but she's more focused on getting settled in that checking her phone.

As she grabs the first crate of CDs and joins Jesse, she notices him giving her a weird look. "What?" she asks, checking to make sure she hasn't spilled coffee on herself, or forgotten to button her pants, or something equally embarrassing.

"You aren't in all black anymore" he says, gesturing to her shirt. "It's almost bright." There's a strange tone to his voice that Beca ignores in favor of looking down at herself to see what shirt she'd chosen today. She remembers arguing with herself over what to wear before grabbing something at random and throwing it on. She's gotten so used to ignoring colors that she hadn't really registered a light blue shirt to put on under her standard gray vest.

No wonder Aubrey smiled at her when she'd arrived, the shirt was almost the same shade as Chloe's eyes. "Oh yeah, I just grabbed something for a meet up I had before this" she explains, trying to shrug it off as no big deal.

"I didn't even know you owned anything that isn't black or dark gray" re comments in response, picking up a few more CD and shrugging her way as he heads down another aisle to shelve them.

"Well, we can't all rock that awful green plaid look you've got going on" she tosses back, attention focused on figuring out where the CD in her hand is supposed to go.

"Wait a second" she hears from where he's disappeared, not prepared for him to pop around the corner with a stack of CDs still in hand. "How did you know this is green? I only know it's green because that's what the tag says." She's gaping at hi, replaying what she'd said and feeling herself pale, not able to think up an excuse in time. "Oh my god, can you see colors? Have you been holding out on me"

She can't tell if he's hurt or excited, so Beca just rolls her eyes. "You aren't supposed to ask people that" she tries again for the second time in 24 hours, wondering when she'd become friends with so many people who totally ignored common propriety.

"But we're friends, Beca! And I've flirted with you." He's not moving away, no matter how disinterested Beca tries to act, and she can already tell he won't give up easily, if at all.

"Yeah, well I flirted back, that doesn't' mean it was going anywhere" she tries to downplay it, ignoring the point of the conversation. She really can't see why it's apparently a big deal, it's not like anything had actually happened.

"Still, I can't flirt with someone who knows who their soulmate is. It's like cheating on the universe!" She'd somehow forgotten how much on a romantic he is when he gets going, and it's enough to set her eyes rolling.

"Well in my experience the universe has a sick sense of humor and deserves whatever comes at it" Beca mutters under her breath, not surprised when Jess hears her anyway.

"You can't say that. You've met your soulmate! That's like the greatest gift the universe can give you, that person who stands with you through every obstacle you face." He's almost sickeningly earnest now, and Beca just really wants the conversation to end.

"Life isn't a movie, Jesse. Sometimes a soulmate is one of those obstacles." She isn't really interested in fighting with him, especially so soon after actually enjoying time spent with a soulmate, but she doesn't want him to write her into a movie plot either.

"Yeah, but then you realize that you need them anyway. It's just how it goes. You met them for a reason, that's like soulmate 101 dude." She probably should have realized he was going to write the story anyway.

"Look, can we just drop it?" she tries anyway, turning back to the shelf and looking for the spot.

"Not on your life. I want to know everything. Did you just meet them? Or have you always known the? Is it a guy or a girl? Come on, share with your poor soulmate deprived friend." He's completely ignoring his stack of CDs now, and Beca looks around to make sure Luke isn't nearby to see them slacking.

"You aren't going to let this drop, are you?" she sighs, already knowing the answer as he leans against the shelves and shakes his head with a smirk. "Ugh, fine dude. You get answers, but not all of them. And if you mention this to anyone, I will borrow the Bella wolves to set on you, got it?" His nod is almost hesitant, and Beca thinks she's managed to get through to him that she's serious. But at the same time, he is a decent friend, and having someone she can talk to about this might help.

"I met them at the activity fair, but it's kind of complicated. I was convinced that I didn't need a soulmate, and then I met not one but two of them." She sees Jesse move to interrupt, so she holds up a hand to keep him quiet as she continues. Now that she's started, she needs to get this out. "So obviously I freaked out, and figured there was some mistake in the universe, some joke being played on me. But it turns out they're already dating, and want to at least get to know me, before we all decide whether we want a full relationship. Which I still think is an absolutely crazy idea, because they're both so happy with each other, and I don't want to mess that up. But then I want to spend time with them, and apparently Chloe refuses to take no for an answer because she's one of those 'we met for a reason' people and won't give up without a fight." Jesse looks a little shell shocked by the time she finishes talking, and Beca feels almost sorry for unloading on him like that. But he did ask, and she tried to get him to drop it, so she really can't summon up any guilt.

"You're soulmates with Chloe and Aubrey?" he asks after a minute, waiting for her nod before continuing. "Damn, I want someone to pay me to score that movie."

"That's what you're going with, after all that? That's all you have to say?" Beca asks, glaring at him over that last comment.

"What else is there to say? I can kind of see it, you know. And I'm a movie guy, I've seen movies with plots like this. They're obscure, but they exist. I mean, if you want I can act like I'm upset that you get two soulmates and I still haven't met mine, but that's about it." Jesse suddenly seems to realize they've completely stopped even pretending to stack CDs, and quickly sorts through his stack to find one that goes near where he's standing, looking around to see where Luke is and if he's noticed, relaxing a little when he notices the senior is still in the booth.

"You can really see it?" Beca asks a few minutes later when their stacking brings them back to the same aisle, after having stewed it over the entire time they were silent.

"I totally can. You've got the heart, the head, and the right hook." He laughs when he sees the look on her face, but quickly sobers and continues. "Seriously Beca, soulmates are supposed to balance each other out, right? And you three do. Aubrey is like hyper-focused, Chloe is a massive people person, and you're a risk taker who'll go after what you want. With the three of you working together, I don't think anything could stop you." She wants to argue with what he's staying, but he makes too much sense.

Even if she still doesn't like movies, maybe it's possible that they've taught him something about relationships, as many as he's watched. Of course, Beca knows that life isn't a movie, and she's not guaranteed a happy ending. She's just a normal, fallible human being, and there isn't some script for her to follow to keep things going well and make sure everyone ends up happy. "What if I screw it up?" she asks in a quiet voice, wanting to know what his movies have to say about that.

"Then you fix it" he answers simply. "You three are joined together on a deeper level than you can ever have with anyone else. The only way you can't get through anything that comes at you is if you don't try, all three of you together. It may not always be easy, but you're three parts of a whole, and that's one of the most amazing things in the world. That's got to be worth some effort, right?"

Beca can only shrug in response, not able to put her thoughts into words to answer him. He seems to understand, and just gives her a smile before turning back to his stacking, leaving them to the silence and their individual thoughts for the rest of the shift.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Over the next few weeks as they head towards Regionals, Beca thinks a lot about what Jesse said, but can't bring herself to act on any of it. The plan to keep hanging out is going well, and she's quickly realizing that the two women are quickly becoming her best friends, but all three of them seem to be holding back from anything more than that.

The Riff-Off makes Beca think that not making a decision is probably for the best, because she and Aubrey still don't agree on anything regarding the Bellas, and it's been the cause of more than a few sharp words between them. They try not to fight, but they both have strong opinions and stubborn streaks that don't seem to line up when it comes to the group's direction.

Chloe does her best to mediate, and is probably the biggest reason they haven't actually fought, and true to her word doesn't let either of them run after words are exchanged. But even without actual arguments, Beca still refuses to consider starting any relationship when there's any undercurrent of unrest. And as well as she and Aubrey get on outside of the Bellas, Beca still believe that she'll end up ruining things if they actually date. Hanging out with the two of them, together and separately, has no pressure attached to it, even if all three know in the back of their minds why they started these hang outs.

Still, Regionals just serve to show her how far they still have to go, as Aubrey slides into captain mode and Beca slides into the background. She tries to help Chloe comfort the blonde, knowing they get strange looks from the other Bellas throughout any practice where she does, but she's happier in the background where there's no additional tension between them.

She can tell how much Regionals and the Bellas succeeding mean to Aubrey, and even with their disagreements has to respect how much Aubrey puts into helping them be the best. The obvious passion and drive Aubrey has is more than deserving of that respect, and it's one of the things that Beca can completely understand about the blonde, because she's starting to feel the same way, the longer she spends around not just her soulmates but the rest of the Bellas. These women are all becoming good friends, and after all the effort they've put into this Beca thinks they deserve for something good to come of it.

In order for that to happen though, they need to get Aubrey to Regionals in a solid frame of mind, and the pressure is obviously making that tough to accomplish. She's learned a good amount about how to keep Aubrey calm over the past weeks, and even if she mostly stays in the background, she can tell she's usually a help, bringing Aubrey a bottle of water when they've been singing the same harmonies for an hour, or holding back her grumble in favor of a smile when they start the cardio.

She knows Chloe has more to do with it than she does, but that's to be expected, and Beca doesn't feel any sense of jealousy when the redhead is able to help more than she can. Chloe has had three years to learn how to help Aubrey, and has the added advantage of actually dating her that lets her be more open in her comforting.

And she knows that she does help, and that's honestly enough for her, without making her think too much about what it all means. It's the first time she's really seen what having soulmates is all about, and she's finding she likes it, likes being part of a whole. It's the first time they've all acted as equals, Beca helping Chloe as much as she can, instead of being left out in the corner as the other two interact. She's aware of them even from the background, even when she isn't at Chloe's side helping Aubrey stay calm, and it's a nice feeling.

She has to admit she hadn't figured this feeling into her ideas about soulmates, had based her fears on how her mother had been hurt, had been too young when they were still happy to remember the good times. And while she isn't ready to let go of those fears completely, she's also not willing to give up on this sense of completion, especially when the three of them end up sitting in the same seat of the small bus they rent for Regionals, Beca crammed into the corner of the seat as Aubrey and Chloe talk about a TV show they've been coercing her to watch with them for bonding nights.

It's another attempt to keep Aubrey focused on something other than the pressure of competition, and they seem to be doing well enough, the blonde relaxed enough to laugh as Beca misremembers plot point after plot point, mixing characters and events in a way she really can't help. She knows the other Bellas are staring at the three of them, is pretty sure Stacie and Cynthia Rose are placing bets in the backseat, but she can't be bothered to care. Things with the three of them just feel right, in this moment, and she isn't willing to let herself overthink the way she usually does.

Once they reach the venue though, Aubrey slips back into captain mode, and Beca slips back into the background, not willing to risk starting anything so soon after the happiness of the bus ride. She just sings her part, dancing in the background and trying not to join the audience in falling asleep. She does have to bite back a smirk at Fat Amy's improvised dance at the end, glad there was at least some kind of spice to the performance.

Then the fight happens, and suddenly there's more spice to the night than she's needed. She doesn't really intend to hit the guy, but he's threatening Jess, and before she knows it her fist is swinging to take him out. She also didn't expect Fat Amy to jump in, or for the trophy to break. And she definitely didn't expect the police to arrest her and drag her to county jail.

She'd heard Chloe and Aubrey both yelling after her, but they have no car and no way to follow her without having the bus back too late, something the team can't afford to pay for, so she calls back for them to go with the other Bellas and she'll figure it out. When she realizes that Jesse had taken that to mean calling her father, she's pissed. She's not sure what she'd expected to happen, but the sight of the man in front of her is one she's been actively avoiding since she started at Barden.

And true to form, he talks over her and lectures the entire way back, not even seeming to care that Jesse is sitting awkwardly in the backseat. After first thirty minutes of the drive, Beca gets tired of trying to get him to listen, and just sits silently through each of the following faults he finds in her. It's harder to stop herself caring each time he starts up, but she's had plenty of practice, and knows her friends will understand even if he doesn't.

Sure enough, despite the late hour she finds the Bellas waiting on her when she gets back to her dorm. She sees Chloe start to stand when she walks in, but she's definitely not ready for the questions a hug will raise, especially after the looks they'd gotten on the way to Regionals, so she warns the redhead off with a slight shake of her head. She'll reassure Chloe later that it's not the hug, just the timing.

She doesn't mean to start an argument with Aubrey, and she can tell Chloe tries to stop it, but Beca is tired of being talked over after the ride with her dad, and when Aubrey starts she wants to snap. She's not sure how she's gone from not wanting to be without the two women on the way to Regionals, to now being convinced that she and Aubrey will end up repeating her parent's mistakes, but she's glad that Chloe steps in before things get out of hand.

Beca keeps quiet for the rest of the meeting, trying not to show how hurt she is that Aubrey had brushed off her mixing like it's nothing. She can tell Chloe isn't fooled, and Beca isn't surprised when the redhead stays behind when the others leave, whispering to Aubrey that she'll be along soon. And when the blonde leaves without argument, Beca thinks that maybe she hadn't fooled her either.

"She's stressed" Chloe says after a minute of silence, and Beca barks out a small laugh as she shakes her head.

"You don't need to defend her, Chloe. I may not understand her as well as you do, but I know her well enough to know that she's stressed. That doesn't mean I'm okay with her walking all over me, all over both of us." And now Chloe is hugging her, and Beca can't pretend she's not hurting anymore. She doesn't exactly cry, but she clings to the redhead and takes deep, shuddering breaths as she tries to regain control.

"I'll always defend both of you" Chloe whispers she she starts to settle, and Beca is glad she's curled into Chloe's side so the redhead can't see the look of disbelief that statement earns. But this is Chloe, and somehow she knows even without seeing. "I promise you Beca, that you both mean a great deal to me, and I hate seeing either of you upset. And I'm going to talk to Aubrey as soon as I get home, even if I have to wake her up."

"Don't fight over me" Beca says, pulling back from the hug in alarm. The second biggest reason she's hesitant about joining their relationship is the possibility she'll somehow mess up what they have, and here she is coming between them.

"I don't intend to fight" Chloe says, reaching out to lay a hand on Beca's cheek. It's the most intimate touch she's gotten from the redhead, and Beca freezes before melting into its comfort. "But even if I did, it wouldn't be _over_ you, it would be _for_ you. For all of us. You make us better, Beca." There's a quiet note of sincerity in Chloe's voice that's impossible to doubt, and Beca feels her heart stutter when she realizes she wants to kiss the redhead.

That isn't what she'd intended to feel, but as soon as the realization hits Beca knows she's started falling for Chloe. That leads to the realization that at least some of the hurt caused by Aubrey is caused by similar feelings, and wanting to be good enough.

She's falling in love with her soulmates, but she's still afraid that they'll end up hurting her because she won't be able to make it work. If she gives I to these feelings, she'll just be opening the door for the worst to happen.

So instead of saying anything, or giving in to the urge to kiss Chloe, Beca settles for taking the offered comfort until Chloe is convinced she's okay and leaves to talk to Aubrey. And even though they have practice in the morning, Beca lies awake for hours staring at the ceiling as realizations and thoughts swirl through her head, taunting her as she tries to make sense of them all.

She is so screwed.


	6. Chapter 6

Aubrey isn't asleep when Chloe gets home, which would be surprising if Chloe didn't know the blonde was just as worried about Beca as she is. There's something Beca is holding back, and Chloe has no idea what it is, but she's worried about the fact the brunette won't trust her with it.

"She's just trying to help" Chloe says instead of a greeting, for once not moving to Aubrey's side for what she knows will be an emotional conversation. She won't take sides between the two of them, doesn't believe there should be sides, but she's standing up for Beca now, and she wants to make sure Aubrey hears what she's saying, not just the words she's using. "She cares as much about the Bellas as we do, and she wanted her thoughts to be heard. And Aubrey, I know how you feel about changing the set, but you can't just talk over her. Her father does that to her, and he did it to her mother."

After months spent hanging out with Beca, both women know how many of Beca's reservations revolve around her father's actions, so the realization obviously hits Aubrey hard. "I'm acting just like he did, aren't I?" she says quietly, wincing when Chloe nods. "I didn't even realize I was doing it, Chloe, I swear. I do care about what she has to say, but I've heard enough about the set and none of it has changed my mind. I just got so frustrated when she brought it up."

Chloe knows there's more to it than that, knows there was a moment when Aubrey had thought she'd been siding with Beca, but she lets it slide without pushing for Aubrey to admit to it. The jealousy, and likely fear, that her girlfriend had felt was unfounded, and now that they're removed from the situation, Chloe knows that she understands that. Admitting to the emotions won't help right now, and Chloe can spend the night reassuring her without bringing them up, after they get this issue settled.

"You'll push her away if you keep doing it" Chloe says softly, needing her girlfriend to understand. "I know you're starting to care about her Aubrey, and I know you know how I feel. The Bellas are a big part of our life, but are you willing to lose our chance with Beca because you're frustrated?" Chloe makes sure to stress the 'our' in her statement, reinforcing the fact that they're in this together, that Chloe isn't planning on going anywhere.

"No" Aubrey reluctantly admits. "You're right, Chloe. I made a mistake, and I'll apologize tomorrow." Chloe smiles at that, finally moving to Aubrey's side to pull her up and into a hug.

"We can make this work" she says as she holds her girlfriend tight. "Not just the two of us, but all three of us together."

"Is that all you two talked about?" Aubrey asks, once she's relaxed fully into the embrace, the lingering tension leaving her body, if not her mind, as the physical comfort soothes it away

"Pretty much" Chloe shrugs. "She all but made me promise we wouldn't fight because of her. She really cares about us, even if she's still holding back." She can tell that Aubrey softens even more at hearing that, obviously reassured that Beca isn't trying to cut her out of the relationship. As much as Chloe knows that her girlfriend loves and trusts her, there's always been that little bit of insecurity that Chloe can't soothe away. And even if it's never mentioned, Chloe knows that she'll never stop trying, hoping that eventually the constant reassurances will be enough, because she can't imagine her life without Aubrey in it anymore.

So Chloe just holds her girlfriend, wordlessly telling her all of that, until she can tell Aubrey is fighting off sleep, the emotions of the day catching up to her. They can talk more in the morning, right now she just wants to curl up with her girlfriend and put the day behind them.

XXXXXXXXXX

The apology doesn't go quite as well as Chloe had hoped, but at least everyone is convinced Aubrey is sorry and Beca forgives her. There's still a hesitance to the brunette that worries Chloe, but her smile is genuine, and she doesn't pull away when Chloe helps with the choreography, or when Aubrey helps with breathing techniques to help her hold her notes. They even make it through practice with only a few sharp words, and even those come with a small smile to take the sting out, said more out of habit than ill will.

With the hurdle of Regionals and the emotions that went along with those events out of the way, the three women settle back into the rhythm they'd found before. Beca and Aubrey avoided discussing the Bellas when they spend time together, and Chloe did her best to keep both of them feeling cared for and involved.

She discusses choreography adaptations with Aubrey, trying to take advantage of the new talents the non-traditional Bellas bring to the table. Nothing major, nothing too modern or out there, just enough to showcase how their differences work together in this new group. Aubrey hesitates at first, but eventually lets Chloe make a few small changes.

Meanwhile, Chloe spends her time with Beca listening to the younger woman's mixes, realizing just how talented she is. She'd been surprised when Beca mentioned them to the Bellas, the younger woman hadn't shared that with her before. She isn't sure why exactly, but thinks it might be linked to her reluctance to open up and risk getting hurt, so Chloe makes sure she isn't at all subtle about how much she enjoys the music Beca plays for her.

But by unspoken agreement neither woman brings them up to Aubrey, though Chloe knows Beca dislikes feeling that she has to hide from the blonde. Chloe feels the same way, but she's been with Aubrey long enough to know when the blonde isn't going to budge, and this is one of those times. And Chloe tries to be fair, the set _has_ gotten them to Nationals before. They just have to make it through Semis and they'll be home free.

Maybe if they get to Nationals, they'll be in a good place to talk about where the three of them are heading, and whether Beca is willing to give them a try. Because not pushing her is proving to be harder than not pushing Aubrey had been, probably because she knows how amazing it can be when you're able to work things out and be with your soulmate.

The bus ride to Semis gives her hope, the way Beca joins in on their harmony makes her smile and forget the now constant pressure in her throat when she sings. And the way Beca helps her comfort Aubrey when they're forced to call the Trebles for help makes her think that maybe they're already something, just without a name for it yet.

She's pretty sure she even sees Jesse smirking at them, and wonders what Beca might have told him, and when. Still, Beca doesn't let go of Aubrey's hand or move away, so apparently it's nothing bad. Unlike Aubrey, Chloe has nothing against Beca's friendship with the Treble, from what she knows about him he's a lot more of a decent guy than his groupmates. And his smirk isn't one that puts her on her guard, it's more like he's sharing an inside joke with a friend than anything malicious.

So really, despite the tension on the bus between the two teams, Chloe counts it as a good time. Aubrey is tense, but no more tense than she always is before a performance, which means she's almost relaxed considering they're heading to Semis to compete. It doesn't completely last once they're off the bus and heading into the venue to prepare, the blonde's shoulders tensing and her smile becoming fixed in place, rather than genuine as it had been on the bus.

And as Aubrey tenses, Chloe feels Beca withdraw. She wishes they could go back to the easy comfort of the bus, the balance of all three of them together. At least the competition should take more than a few hours, and then they're free until after Spring Break. Hopefully Aubrey will give them some down time to recover, if Chloe can manage to convince her.

Then the Footnotes come out, and Chloe starts to really worry for the first time this year. She hadn't really thought they could beat the Trebles at Nationals, even if she'd never tell Aubrey that, but based on the talent the year before she'd been sure they'd at least make it back. Now though, she's got this sinking feeling in her gut that their season might be ending before her eyes.

Still, she's determined that if they're going down, they're at least going to go down fighting. So she pours more effort into her voice than is probably wise, ignoring the twinges in her throat, knowing she'll regret it later. She isn't expecting Beca to have the same idea, with such different execution.

It's a simple mix, nothing like what Chloe knows she's capable of, but it still manages to throw the Bellas off, Aubrey visibly fighting down vomit as a few of the others stumble on the newer choreography. The mix works, they sound better than they ever have before, but the addition is so unexpected that the other Bellas can't adjust. Suddenly the routine that they can do on autopilot takes all of their focus, the three minutes of the performance seeming to stretch on endlessly.

Chloe is so thrown off by the effort needed to sing her part that she can barely manage to think about what kind of showdown is coming on when they finally finish. She tries to head off the confrontation and keep the two separate until everyone has a chance to recover and calm down, but there's no stopping Aubrey.

"What the hell, Beca?" Aubrey yells as she heads straight for the younger woman, pushing Chloe and the other Bellas aside to catch up to her. "Were you trying to screw us up?" Chloe isn't sure how things have gone downhill so quickly, and the sudden reversal of where the three of them stand leaves her flailing to find some kind of balance.

"Are you serious?!" Beca asks, obviously refusing to budge from her position that what she'd done was right.

"Newsflash, this isn't the Beca show" Aubrey snaps, not even seeming to register what Beca had said.

"Okay, I'm sorry I messed you up, but in case you hadn't noticed, pretty much everyone had dozed off during our set." Both women seem to be ignoring everything around them as the fight escalates, and Chloe isn't sure whether even she is allowed in the middle of this one. It's an oddly isolating feeling, watching her two soulmates fight and being unable to step in, especially not without being seen as taking sides.

"It's not your job to decide what we do and when we do it" Aubrey states, and Chloe almost stakes a step to her side when she hears the edge in the blonde's voice. "Why don't you ask the rest of the group how they felt about your little improvisation?" Chloe refuses to speak up when they look at her, because she can't think of anything to say that won't alienate one of the women she loves. Instead, she watches helplessly as Beca shrinks back form them with every ambivalent or negative Bella reaction.

"I told you she wasn't a Bella" Aubrey snaps, and Chloe jolts out of her shock when she realizes what's about to happen.

"Aubrey, don't" she starts, desperate to avoid this.

"No, that's okay" Beca interrupts before she can continue. "You don't have to pretend to you have a say. It's been clear since I joined that Aubrey makes the decisions, and that she doesn't like me. You don't think I fit, right Aubrey?" the brunette asks, carefully masked pain on her face and in her voice. "You thought I'd screw you up, come between you and Chloe. You never were actually willing to give me a chance, were you?" Chloe sees the rest of the Bellas looking at each other in confusion, but her heart is breaking into a million tiny pieces as she watches her soulmates fight, and she can't worry about them right now.

"I gave you a chance" Aubrey snarls back. "But I'm pretty sure you just left it back on that stage." Chloe gasps at that, the anger in Aubrey's voice almost a physical blow, despite not being directed at her. This can't be happening.

"Only accepting things your way isn't a chance" Beca says, all fight gone out of her voice. "Maybe you're right, Aubrey, maybe I don't fit. But at least I tried. But if I'm the only one trying, then I quit. I'm done, with both of you. Maybe you two should forget you ever met my eyes." And with that the brunette turns her back on them, walking away without a second glance.

Chloe wants desperately to run after her, but her legs don't seem to want to hold her weight, and only the fact that Amy catches her keeps her from hitting the floor. Aubrey is at her side the second she sways, guilt and concern all over her face. "Chloe, I'm so sorry" she starts, but Chloe shakes her head to silence any more apologies. She isn't going to push her girlfriend away, but she doesn't trust herself to talk right now. She does reach out for Aubrey though, letting the blonde hold her up as she fights away tears.

Beca texts Chloe while the Bellas are waiting for their results, a few simple sentences carefully devoid of emotion letting the redhead know that she'd gotten a ride home and not to wait for her. When the Bellas place third, they're so emotionally drained that it barely registers. Their season is done, their hopes for Nationals gone, but after the surprise of Beca's improvisation and the ferocity of the fight afterwards, each of the girls is too tired to care tonight. Tomorrow will be soon enough for it all to sink in.

The ride home is almost subdued, Jesse mostly keeping the Trebles in line, helped by Aubrey's glare and Lilly pulling a small knife from somewhere in her uniform. The next few days pass slowly, Chloe still not ready to talk about it with Aubrey, still getting used to the Beca shaped hole in their life.

She still isn't ready when her girlfriend finally brings it up. "Are you going to leave me?" Aubrey asks quietly, not looking at her as they lie in bed, neither feeling tired but not willing to do anything else.

"No, Aubrey, never" comes the immediate response, because even if Chloe is hurting and her emotions are all over the place, she knows that much with absolute certainty. "I love you, and I always will. You're my soulmate, and we can get through anything." It's harder to say the words now, with the press of emotions and loss all around them, but Chloe still believes them.

"I screwed up though" comes the even quieter response, and Chloe can hear the point in her voice, knows what that means to Aubrey.

"We all did" Chloe says, not quite willing to disagree just to make the blonde feel better, not when it means lying to her. "We should have waited before we tried to talk about it. I should have pushed harder to wait until we were at least home."

"I didn't let you" Aubrey admits, rolling onto her side to look at Chloe as she speaks. "I got so caught up in what Beca did that I pushed you away."

Chloe turns to face Aubrey as well, reaching out her hand to lay on Aubrey's cheek with a sad smile. "But I didn't push back. I was so scared of taking sides that I froze. And now Beca's walked away, and I don't know how to get her back to us."

"What if we never get her back?" Aubrey asks, even though she looks like she never wants to consider the possibility. "What if she's done with us? Can we be okay with that?" Chloe knows Aubrey isn't trying to hurt her, but the question cuts deep, almost stealing her breath when she considers the possibility.

"No" she finally answers honestly, not willing to hide the truth from her girlfriend. "We can get through, but I won't ever be complete without her. You won't be complete without her, we won't be complete without her. Not having her in our lives these past few days is like losing the colors she gave us. I didn't miss them before we had them, but now I know I would never see the world the same again without them. Losing her would be like losing you, like losing music. There would always be something missing."

"So what do we do?" Aubrey asks, looking like she's trying not to cry. "You're right, there's something missing without her, but what if I've ruined any chance we had, just because I was too stubborn to see it?"

Chloe takes a deep breath before she starts talking, having made some difficult decisions over the past few days. "We give it some time, let things cool down. I'm going to go home over Spring Break, my parents found a doctor there who can remove my nodes." She hadn't mentioned her decision to go ahead with the surgery yet, had gone back and forth on it since they lost at Semis, but now she feels like it's the right thing to do. And Aubrey is looking at her in surprise, but the fear and determination Chloe feels are slowly starting to reflect back at her from her soulmate's face.

"I'm coming with you" Aubrey states, pulling Chloe closer to her as the redhead just smiles.

"I already booked your ticket."

XXXXXXXXXXX

The surgery goes well, and the doctor is optimistic that in time she'll be able to regain most of her range, though if there's scarring she might lose some of her upper register. Still, with Aubrey beside her the news doesn't seem as daunting as she'd feared. At least she'll still be able to sing, and without the pressure and pain that had become her constant companions over the past few months.

The success of the surgery has Chloe feeling optimistic about the situation with Beca, even though she knows the two are completely unrelated. Still, when the ICCA committee calls to tell Aubrey that the Bellas are back in, it seems almost like a sign. Even the fact that Beca doesn't answer her text when she lets the younger woman know doesn't dampen that hopeful feeling. Things are looking up, she just knows it.

When Beca still hasn't shown up by the start of practice, Chloe's hope is starting to fray a bit. It doesn't help that Aubrey is stressed, and taking it out on the Bellas, even Chloe. Without Beca there, the routine has to be completely adjusted, and after the debacle that was Semis none of the newer Bellas are particularly motivated to learn the needed adjustments.

After a particularly biting comment from Aubrey, neither is Chloe. "Okay Aubrey, you need to quiet yelling at us, we get the point" she snaps, seeing the looks on the faces of the younger women as Aubrey criticizes them.

"Well maybe I could quit yelling if they'd listen and start acting like Bellas again, not a group of toddlers with no sense of coordination." That one hurts, and Chloe can see at least three Bellas looking ready to head for the door. It's like Aubrey learned nothing from the fight with Beca, like the pressure from Nationals has pushed her right back to last year, to the desperate need to prove herself no matter what the cost.

And Chloe has had enough of it. "God, Aubrey, do you even remember what happened last time you told someone they weren't a Bella? Do you want to lose more Bellas because you're so set on this?" She sees a flicker of guilt in her girlfriend's eyes, but the obsessive need to win won't let it take over, and Aubrey doesn't miss a beat before jumping back into the fight.

"Oh, so losing Beca, that was entirely my fault? Losing Semis? Is that what you're saying, Chloe? That this whole mess is on me?" Normally the anger in Aubrey's voice would have Chloe switching to a mediator role, but she's never had the answer directed her way, and now that it is she's not willing to back down.

"That's not what I was saying, Aubrey, and you know it. What happened had a lot of reasons But it you don't realize you're being too controlling, it's going to ruin all of us!" The stress of surgery, of hours of practice, of now weeks without Beca, it all builds in Chloe, and suddenly she realizes that this is the first real fight she's had with Aubrey. It almost stops her, because she never wanted to fight, but now Aubrey is yelling about losing control, and Chloe knows what's about to happen.

And sure enough, her girlfriend is vomiting across the rehearsal space, and some part of Chloe can't help but be proud of Aubrey for it, even if that's not the control Chloe was talking about. And she knows that Aubrey won't give up any other control unless someone makes her. So just as her girlfriend had snapped, so does Chloe, yelling at Aubrey that it's for her own good and chasing her around the puddle of vomit. She wasn't expecting Amy to join in, but at the same time she isn't particularly surprised.

She vaguely registers the commotion in the background from the other Bellas, but she's too focused on getting the pitch pipe from Aubrey, and nothing can cut through that focus. Nothing until Beca's voice rings out over the din, and all of Chloe's attention snaps up to the brunette in front of her, the sight almost like the first sight of colors in its intensity.

The distraction lets Aubrey get the pitch pipe first, but there's almost a hesitation as she stands. Obviously her girlfriend hadn't expected their soulmate to actually show up, especially in the middle of such an emotionally charged situation.

"What are you doing here, this is a Bella's rehearsal" Aubrey asks, angry bravado covering the insecurity that only Chloe hears in her voice. She sees Beca wince at the tone, and quickly scrambles to her fee to try and head Aubrey off before anything is said just because it's a bad time.

"I know" Beca says hesitantly. "I just wanted to say, I'm sorry." She's stepping hesitantly forward, gaze switching back and forth between Chloe and Aubrey as she does. "What I did was a really dick move. I shouldn't' have changed the set, and I definitely shouldn't have left." It looks like she has more to say, but Aubrey is looking unmoved, and Chloe isn't willing to deal with the drama of her two soulmates trying to out stubborn the other.

So instead of words, Chloe runs to Beca's side, almost tackling her into the tightest hug she can manage, refusing to let the brunette pull away again. "I need air, Chloe" Beca says eventually, noticing the stunned looks from the Bellas, and the carefully blank look from Aubrey. As Chloe reluctantly pulls back from the hug, Beca makes it a point to meet Aubrey's eyes. "And Aubrey, if you'd have me, I'd like back in."

Chloe keeps hold of Beca's arm through the request, joining the brunette's plea with an entreating look at her girlfriend. She can see Aubrey wavering, the need to control the Bellas and protect her pride warring with the emotions she knows the blonde has for Beca. But this isn't the time for Aubrey's insecurities to cause problems, not when Beca is coming to them apology in hand, asking to come back.

So rather than wait for the decision, Chloe pulls Beca forward with her until they're close enough for her to pull Aubrey into a hug, shifting after a moment to fully include Beca in the embrace. "Of course you can come back" Chloe whispers, feeling Aubrey tense at the words, before relaxing as she nods.

"Let's solve the Bellas first, then we can discuss the three of us later tonight" comes the agreement, and Chloe can feel Beca smile."

"Does that mean you'll change the set?" Beca asks, loudly enough for the others to hear.

"Damn, if I'd known a little extra lady loving was all Aubrey needed to loosen the reigns, I'd have been on board for this months ago" the year Cynthia Rose say form the bleachers, and even Aubrey has to laugh at that.

"Fine" she says with a roll of her eyes that she's obviously learned from Beca, pulling back from the hug. "We can talk about a new set list." She obviously isn't prepared for the enthusiasm with which the younger women greet the concession, wincing a little at the deafening volume of their cheers.

"Maybe not here though" Beca says when it quiets down, glancing at the puddle of vomit still on the ground, earning a sheepish look form Aubrey and a light smack on the arm from Chloe.

They met an hour later at the empty pool, Beca claiming she wants to go back to where they first managed to connect, in an attempt to get that easy harmony back. And they do, though Chloe almost feels like rather than building the basis for a set, the other Bellas are singing background for the start of their relationship with Beca, each of her soulmates clearly picking songs with the other in mind.

Still, the exercise gives them a connection as a group, as well as several ideas for the new set, and they end up staying at the pool for almost an hour, tossing around ideas for Beca to work with. But when they finally leave, Chloe won't let the younger woman rush back to her dorm to start, not before they've had a chance to talk. There's too much that still needs said, and Chloe is admittedly still a little nervous that Beca won't be there in the morning, that this is all a dream.

Instead she pulls the brunette along with them as she and Aubrey head home, telling her that she can sleep in the guest room, but they're having the conversation tonight. And to her credit, Beca might look nervous, but she also looks determined, following after the two without hesitation.

"We missed you" Chloe starts as soon as they settle around the table where they can each easily see the others. Aubrey nods a little at Chloe's words, flushing a little and looking guiltily at the brunette. "And we all know that everyone is sorry about what happened at Semis, so we don't have to spend the next thirty minutes apologizing instead of getting to the point." Aubrey laughs a little at that, having spent days apologizing every time Chloe was disappointed a text wasn't from Beca.

"Well then, I guess I just have to ask if you guys even still want me around" Beca says nervously, twisting her rings and not quite meeting their eyes.

"Of course we want you around" Aubrey says before Chloe can, and it obviously surprises Beca that the blonde is the one answering. "I know I was tough on you, and let my frustrations get the better of me, but we both missed you, Beca. You've become a part of us, and life just seemed empty without you."

"Aubrey is being completely serious, Beca" Chloe jumps in. "Our lives just aren't complete without you in them. We've missed you since Semis, wanted you back in our lives since it seemed like we lost you." She's trying not to cry, but the feeling of loss had been the most painful thing in Chloe's life, and even the memory makes her chest hurt.

"I missed both of you too" Beca says, surprising them as she reaches out to take their hands in her own. "I was so afraid of what I was feeling, and of what would happen if we fought like that after I gave in to those feelings, and instead of fixing the problem I tried to push you both away." She's meeting their eyes now, and Chloe can tell the admission scares her. It's the biggest thing they've learned about Beca, that opening up like this is something she hates doing, always afraid of what might happen.

"I told you once before, Beca, it's impossible to push Chloe away" Aubrey says, and Chloe can see that she's squeezing Beca's hand as she does, probably trying to reassure the younger woman.

"Well of course it is" Chloe can't help but interject. "We're soulmates, which means we're part of each other. I believe in that fact, which means I believe in us. If we're together, we can get through anything." She could go on, probably for hours, but she notices that Beca looks anxious about something she'd just said, and she isn't sure what.

"When you say together, what do you mean?" Beca asks before Chloe has time to worry too much about it, though the nervousness in her voice starts to give the redhead another reason. She can feel Aubrey looking at her, and suddenly wishes they'd had time to discuss what each of them is open to trying, before Beca had bene involved in the conversation.

Still, if the three of them are going to make any kind of relationship work, from friendship to something more, then they need to be able to work things out together. "At a minimum, friends, all three of us" she starts, consciously telling herself to slow things down and not rush either of her more cautions soulmates.

"Oh Chloe, just be honest with her" Aubrey cuts her off, kind smile taking any sting out of her words. "Beca, we both have feelings for you, and I know Chloe wants you in this relationship, if you want to be." Chloe thinks Beca looks just as shocked as she feels, neither having expected Aubrey to be the one who brought up that option.

"And what about you?" Beca finally asks, eyes locked on Aubrey's as she waits for an answer.

"Did I not just say we both have feelings for you?" the blonde asks in exasperation.

"Well yeah, but anger, disgust, and a desire for constant avoidance, those are all feelings too" Beca quips, yelping when Chloe pulls her hand free to smack the younger woman's arm.

"And deny myself the pleasure of your charmingly exasperating company? Never" Aubrey responds, earning an eye roll from Chloe.

"What, I get hit but she doesn't?" Beca exclaims. "How is that fair?"

"She at least called you charming" Chloe shrugs, completely unrepentant.

"Anyway, back to the point" Aubrey says, managing to get the other two to focus again. "I'll admit I had reservations, but when you left after Semis, I realized how much of a fool I'd been, letting those reservations get the best of me. They were based on my own insecurities, and projecting them on to you was unfair to all of us." Chloe is a little surprised that Aubrey is opening up like this to Beca. She's discussed all of this with her girlfriend over the past months, but the blonde isn't usually this open in general, even with Chloe. "The truth is, Chloe has been right all along, you make us better. So yes, Beca, if you want to be a part of this relationship, then I want you to be as well."

Beca is looking between the two of them again, and Chloe has to remind herself that air is necessary as she waits for the response. "I never thought I'd need a soulmate, let alone two" Beca eventually starts. "But walking away from you two was the biggest mistake I have ever made. Because I do need you, both of you, and I'm done pretending that I don't. So since you both seem willing to take a risk on a mess like me, I might as well take the risk too, right?"

Chloe squeals as Beca finishes, jumping out of her chair to pull Beca into another hug, ignoring the surprise on the brunette's face at the enthusiasm. She'll get used to it eventually, Chloe thinks. For right now, Chloe just wants her new girlfriend close, to reassure herself that this is real. Apparently Aubrey feels the same, because in no time at all Chloe feels another set of arms around them both.

"We can make this work, right?" Beca asks after they've been standing in each other's arms for a few minutes, a touch of insecurity still in her voice.

"We can make _anything_ work" Chloe answers, voice full of certainty that makes both of her soulmates laugh.

XXXXXXXXXXX

They can tell the other Bellas are confused and curious as they spend practice the next day constantly near each other, but Beca seems content to let them wonder as they set to work building a new set. And if any of the girls had still had doubts about how they'd balance each other out, the almost effortless way they work together would have been enough to banish them.

They're more like one person than three, and Chloe knows they're all thinking that this balance is what soulmates are supposed to have, what soulmates are for. It has Chloe trying to figure out how long they have to wait before getting new soulmate bands with Beca, but the redhead knows that a day is definitely too soon, so every time the thought comes up she pushes it away and refocuses on the rehearsal.

By the end of the day they have a setlist and choreography, everything falling together as the other Bellas get caught up in their mood. By the end of the week they're performing the routine like they've known it for months, enthusiasm giving each note and move more energy than the old set had ever known. With this set and these girls, Chloe knows Nationals is theirs.

And so it proves, the energy of being onstage adding to the energy they've already built, and turning the set into something truly amazing. As they finish and hit the final pose, Chloe wishes she could freeze time right here, surrounded by friends and the enthusiastic reactions of the audience, her soulmates at her side. It's the perfect ending to her senior year, and Chloe can't think of anything that could be better.

"Gods I love you both" Beca sa

ys as they break formation for congratulatory embraces.

Okay, so maybe she can.

* * *

Well there it is, the end of the storyline. I never saw myself writing this ship, but I really enjoyed writing this, as well as reading reactions and messages from everyone who enjoyed it.

Even though this storyline is done, I've got a few more assorted Triple Treble and BeChloe prompts stored just waiting for inspiration to strike, and if anyone has more, in this 'verse or another, I'd love to hear them!


End file.
